Mon 10 June 2013

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Monday, June 10, 2013

Vol. 29, No. 12,583

www.ngrguardiannews.com

N150

S’Africans willing to bid Mandela bye, wait for family • Admirers, others pray for ex-leader on second day in hospital From Oghogho Obayuwana (Abuja) and Bola Olajuwon (Lagos) (with agency report) OUTH Africans are beginSthening to come to terms with mortality of their first

Members of the media in front of Mediclinic Heart Hospital where former South African President Nelson Mandela is believed to be hospitalised in Pretoria. (Inset: Members of the congregaPHOTO: AFP tion at Regina Mundi Church praying during a mass for the ailing peace icon following his second day in hospital over a lung infection in Pretoria… yesterday.)

black president who is revered as the father of the “Rainbow Nation” multi-race democracy. They are ready to bid Nelson Mandela bye. But they also want his family to have the same disposition.

The ill-health of the Nobel laureate continued to spark worldwide concerns, with South Africans praying for the ailing peace icon following his second day in hospital yesterday over a lung infection.

Yesterday in South Africa, Mandela’s latest health scare was splashed across the front pages of local newspapers.

But government officials have released no updates since announcing he was CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

INEC to penalise parties for early campaigns over 2015

By Seye Olumide ARY of the prospect of W being nation the thrown into political tumult by early campaigns ahead of the 2015 general elections and the threat this poses to good governance, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday urged parties to adhere to the tenets of the Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act 2010.

• Says trend a threat to democracy • Wants parties to observe 90 days before polling day rule • Urges security agents to arrest violators The section states that the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days

before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.

Giving the warning yesterday, the electoral body ob-

served that some politicians and registered political parties had begun unbridled campaigns towards the

forthcoming general elections, thereby heating up the polity.

In a statement yesterday, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Kayode Robert Idowu, said the commission had observed that campaign posters were being indiscriminately displayed, while electioneering

ACN faults proscription order on Boko Haram, others – Page 5

broadcasts were being aired outside the statutory provision for campaigning towards elections into various elective offices.

He said that the trend was unhealthy and portended ill for the political process, “indeed, it is a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.”

Calling on the key players in politics to adhere to the tenets of the Electoral Act CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

4 NEWS

INEC says early campaigns over 2015 a threat to democracy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 2010 as amended, Idowu said: “The Commission hereby reminds all players of the provision of Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended), which states as follows: ‘For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.’ ” According to him, political parties should note that campaigning outside this provision is a violation of the law, and the commission will not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against culprits as provided by relevant sections of the law.

Idowu called on security agents to apprehend violators, whose activities in this regard pose a threat to public order.

The commission also enjoined all parties to play strictly by the rules, as part of a collective effort to ensure the success of the 2015 elections.

The appearance of campaign posters, ahead of INEC’s schedule began in January this year with allglossy campaign posters of President Goodluck Jonathan, which were strategically pasted in some areas of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja courtesy of South South Action Group.

The series of posters had different inscriptions which read: “2015: no vacancy in Aso Rock. Let’s do more,” “One good term deserves another,” and “Support Dr. Goodluck Azikiwe Jonathan for 2015 presidency.”

The President, however, denied having anything to do

with the posters.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati said the President had not launched any campaign.

Barely a month after, in February other campaign posters of the president flooded the streets of Abuja.

The posters were canvassing support for Jonathan to seek a second term in 2015.

The posters, which were sponsored by a little-known group, Nigerians Unity Project, were conspicuously displayed on walls in Wuse, Garki and bus stops in and around the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

Also in mid-April, giant campaign posters announcing the candidature of the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido and his Rivers State counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi, for the 2015 presidential election flooded strategic locations in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

The posters strategically pasted in the highbrow areas of the city mentioned the Youth Coalition for Better Nigeria as their sponsor.

The posters were seen in Mokola Roundabout, Eleyele, Ring Road, Old-Ife, Alakia, Yidi, Iwo-Road Roundabout, among others in the metropolis.

Last month, the issue took another twist as campaign posters of the governors of Katsina and Akwa Ibom states, Ibrahim Shema and Godswill Akpabio appeared on the major streets of Lagos.

The posters which had the message “Hope, Action and Change,” had Governor Shema as a presidential aspirant with Akpabio as his running mate. But the sources of the campaign posters remained

unknown as the parties involved vehemently denied their association with the posters.

Also last week, campaign posters of former Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) joined the list of those displaying their campaign posters ahead of the 2015 election.

The posters announced Buhari as the sole candidate of the unregistered All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 elections. It took over the city of Abuja on

Monday.

The posters on walls, trees and flyovers at the popular AYA roundabout, Asokoro and Maitama districts of the capital city announced the intention of the former general to lead the country again.

Buhari and others whose names were mentioned in the saga have denied involvement. In fact they all ascribed the act as the handiwork of mischief-makers.

The campaign posters have

also been linked to the ongoing crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), which has virtually polarised the forum and is also affecting the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Amaechi is allegedly being vilified by the PDP over an alleged ambition to use the governor’s forum as a platform to run for the position of vice president along with a northern presidential candidate in 2015.

Amaechi, who was recently suspended from the ruling

party for anti party activities, has said he is not interested in 2015 presidency.

He accused his detractors of being the brain behind the posters to paint him black before his colleagues prior to the NGF election.

At present the once vibrant and well-coordinated NGF has been polarised with Amaechi leading a faction while the Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang is leading another faction believed to be loyal to the president.

Senator Ben Obi (second left) and children during the burial of his wife, Colette, in Awka, Anambra State...at the weekend.

Admirers, others pray for ex-leader on second day in hospital CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 hospitalised in Pretoria early Saturday in a “serious but stable” condition.

The Sunday Times newspaper carried a front-page picture of the elder statesman smiling and waving under the headline: “It’s time to let him go”.

“We wish Madiba a speedy recovery, but I think what is important is that his family must release him,” long-time friend Andrew Mlangeni, 87, told the newspaper.

Even the British Prime Minister David Cameron said Mandela was in his thoughts, while the White House has also sent good wishes.

It was also reported that Mandela was visited by family members at a hospital where the former president and anti-apartheid leader was being treated for a recurring lung infection, while South Africans expressed their appreciation for a man widely regarded as the father of the nation.

The congregation at the Regina Mundi church in Soweto, a flashpoint during the antiapartheid struggle, prayed for the 94-year-year-old national hero, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported.

“I am coming to church today with Madiba in my thoughts. I want him to get well,” a church member, Nokuthula Tshibasa, 38, told AFP yesterday, using Man-

dela’s clan name.

It is the fourth hospital stay since December for the Nobel peace prize laureate, who turns 95 next month after he was discharged in April following treatment for pneumonia.

But realising the mortality of the former president, another church member, Sannie Shezi, 36, using an affectionate term meaning father, said: “I mean Tata is 94. At 94, what do you expect?”

“He lived his life, he worked for us. All we can say is God help him. If things happen, they will happen, but we still love him.”

The former apartheid era prisoner who was jailed for life alongside Mandela in 1964 said it was clear he was not well and it was possible he “might not be well again”.

“Once the family releases him, the people of South Africa will follow. We will say thank you, God, you have given us this man, and we will release him too.”

Mandela’s third wife, Graca Machel, has been at his hospital bedside after calling off a trip to London.

Presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj, who also served time with Mandela in Robben Island, said on Saturday he was in a “serious” condition, in an unusually sombre description of his state of health.

But he told AFP that Mandela

was breathing on his own.

“The truth of the matter is a simple one. Madiba is a fighter and at his age as long as he is fighting, he’ll be fine,” he said.

Mandela is revered as a global symbol of forgiveness after embracing his former jailers following his release from 27 years in prison and his latest hospitalisation triggered outpourings of concern across the globe.

“No one lasts forever. But I really wish there was an exception for Mandela,” said one post on Twitter.

“Can we all just give this Great Man the dignity to die in peace if it is his time? Has he not given us all enough?

Thank you Tata Mandela,” said another.

Mandela was receiving care at his Johannesburg home when his lung problems returned. He was admitted to an undisclosed Pretoria hospital at 1.30 a.m. Saturday (2330 GMT Friday) after his condition worsened.

He was diagnosed with early-stage tuberculosis in 1988 and also has had treatment for prostate cancer and suffered stomach ailments.

In December, Mandela spent 18 days in hospital, his longest as a free man.

In March, he was admitted for an overnight scheduled check-up before returning that month for 10 days.

Still a powerful symbol of

peace and unity, Mandela has not been seen in public since the World Cup final in July 2010.

After serving just one term, he turned his energy to Acquired Immuno-deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and conflict resolution, before stepping out of the public eye a decade ago at the age of 85.

In March, Zuma appeared to prepare the nation for Mandela’s passing, saying: “In Zulu, when someone passes away who is very old, people say he or she has gone home.

I think those are some of the things we should be thinking about.”

Controversial television footage in April showed a frail, distant and unsmiling Mandela being visited at home by ANC leaders, sparking accusations that his party was exploiting him.

The ruling African National Congress – facing elections next year – has lost much of its Mandela shine amid widespread corruption, poverty and poor public services.

His own family has also been locked in a feud over control of various companies.

“Whereas in the beginning, we would get extremely anxious, this time, our anxiety is tempered with a certain understanding of his age and his frailty. It’s a good healthy balance,” Maharaj said.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

5

News FRSC begins special patrol

ACN faults proscription order on Boko Haram, others

HE FRSC yesterday began a LLEGING highhandedT nationwide special patrol as A ness, the Action Congress part of strategies to reduce of Nigeria (ACN) has said that

road accidents during the rains.

A statement issued by Mr. Jonas Agwu, the FRSC’s Public Education Officer, said the weeklong exercise, tagged “Operation Rainstorm”, would focus on strict enforcement of traffic rules.

“The enforcement will be on number plate violations such as covering of number plates with plastic, use of Peace Ambassador number plates and use of plastic number plates.”

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the exercise will also focus on the use of broken and defaced number plates which negated the National Road Traffic Regulations 2004.

The statement also said that speed limit violation, overloading, dangerous driving, driver’s licence violation, non-use of the passenger manifest by some fleet operators and light sign violations were other areas to be addressed during the period.

It said that in addition, there would be robust public enlightenment campaigns as well as inspection of fleet and certification under the Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme.

It said the programme would be done through massive deployment of personnel, patrol vehicles, motorcycles, ambulances and tow trucks along designated routes and highways across the country.

the recent proscription order on Boko Haram and Ansaru though desirable in tackling the terrorist organisations, violates the country’s Constitution by stifling the press and tampering with the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.

In a statement issued in IlaOrangun yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the order also makes it easy for an increasingly intolerant government to clamp down on the opposition, which its sees more as an irritant than an indispen-

sable part of democracy.

It, therefore, called on media professional bodies to challenge the order in court to save journalists from long jail terms simply for carrying out their constitutional duties.

In the alternative, the ACN called on the Federal Government to clarify the knotty and vague areas of the open-ended order, that may end up punishing journalists and infringing on the civil liberties of the citizens more than it will curtail the activities of the sects. ‘’Against the background of insinuations in government circles, let us be clear that we do not condone the activities of these sects that have killed

and maimed innocent Nigerians and turned a section of the country into a battle field. Terrorism in all its ramifications is condemnable, and no responsible government will allow any group, no matter its name, grievances or ideology, to carry out terrorist acts unchecked. ‘’But we believe that whatever action government takes – even in an emergency – must pass the constitutional test, especially since the relevant sections of the Constitution have not been suspended,’’ the party said.

It said the offensive section of the order is Section 5 (1), which prescribes a term of

imprisonment of not less than 20 years ‘’for any person who knowingly, in any manner, directly or indirectly, solicits or renders support for the commission of an act of terrorism or to a terrorist group’’.

ACN said “support”, as defined by the order, includes ‘’incitement to commit a terrorist act through the Internet, or any electronic means or through the use of printed materials or through the dissemination of terrorist information. ‘’Is this subsection not in conflict with Chapter II Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution which says ‘The press, radio, television and other agencies

of the mass media, shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people?’ ‘’By stifling the press, is the order not abridging a part of the fundamental human rights guaranteed every citizen under Chapter Four of the Nigerian Constitution in Section 39 (1), which states thus: ‘Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference?’ (emphasis ours).

Senator wants executive, legislature partnership on budget From Lawrence Njoku , Enugu HE Senator representing Abia Central and Chairman Senate Committee on Gas Resources, Nkechi Nwogu has advocated collaboration between the executive and legislature from the preparatory stage of the appropriation bill to minimise the distortion and delay associated with passage of the budget.

Nwogu made the call at the weekend while speaking on the topic: ‘‘ExecutiveLegislative Relations and Challenges of National Security” at the annual public lecture series of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

She observed that timely passage of the annual budgets by the legislatures and its faithful implementation by the executive would greatly enhance government’s effort in tackling security challenges, as well as various other commitments of government.

The lawmaker, who agreed that several budgets passed in time had been subject of contention, explained that it had been so due to gap existing between the executive and legislature, especially in the formation of the budget.

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Managing Director, Kaduna Distribution Company, Alhaji Mohammed Idris (left); Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris and Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo during a courtesy visit to the Emir on Saturday in Zaria, Kaduna

PDP assures of fairness over govs’ suspension From Abiodun Fagbemi (Ilorin) and Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja) OISED to ensure a more united political family, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said yesterday that its renewed commitment to issues of discipline and party loyalty would make it stronger.

Meanwhile, leaders of the party in Kwara State yester-

P

• Kwara chapter denies alleged hijack plot day dismissed speculations that “some forces” in the presidency were planning to hijack the party’s structure in the state .

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement in Abuja, asked party members not to panic about the wave

of disciplinary measures being taken by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), pointing out that justice and fairness remained the party’s watchwords.

The party had in the last few weeks suspended Governors Chibuike

Amaechi of Rivers State and Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto State over allegations of disrespect and disloyalty.

Metuh’s statement reads in part:”The PDP’s NWC hereby assures all members that the happenings in the party in the last few weeks are part of the processes of instilling discipline within the

BPE to release licences for N1.2tr NIPP projects

By Roseline Okere and Sulaimon Salau HERE are indications that T the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) will today release licences to seven of the 10 National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) estimated at N1.2 trillion, which have been put up for sale by the Federal Government.

The Guardian learnt at the weekend that licences would be presented today to the

Niger Delta Power Holding Company and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

According to sources, the power plants to receive licences are Calabar Generation Company Limited; Benin Generation Company Limited; Egbema Generation Company Limited; Gbarain Generation Company Limited; Geregu Generation Company Limited; Omoku Generation Company Limited and

Omotosho Generation Company Limited.

Over 200 investors have commenced moves to acquire the power plants.

Sources in the Ministry of Power, however, confirmed that the 10 power plants cost over $8 billion (about N1.2 trillion) at completion, indicating that the government would be expecting far beyond that expenditure from the sale of the plants.

The privatisation of the NIPP

projects may have become the most prominent concern for the Federal Government recently.

It was also gathered that high profile meeting and deliberations have continued in the presidency, in order not to leave any stone unturned in the privatisation process, as the second leg of the road show begins on Wednesday June 12, at the Intercontinental Park Lane Hotel, London.

party and not to witch-hunt any member whatsoever.

We assure that all the issues will be looked into and resolved amicably in line with the spirit of brotherliness and the guiding principles of our party.

“The PDP remains a strong, united and democratic family guided by the principles of equity, justice, rule of law and love for one another and will at the end of the day definitely come out stronger than ever before.”

It continued:”We therefore urge all members to close ranks and totally disregard suggestions from envious enemies of our family that some individuals or groups are being targeted for certain reasons.

A former governor of the state and senator representing Kwara North at the National Assembly, Alhaji Sha’aba Lafiagi described a newspaper publication (not The Guardian) to this effect as “absolutely untrue”.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

6 NEWS

Chevron moves to auction stake in two oil fields

By Sulaimon Salau HEVRON has unveiled C plans to auction its stake in Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 83 and 85 offshore Nigeria.

The oil fields are situated in shallow water offshore Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta and have reserves of about 250 million barrels of oil and 14.1billion cubic metres of gas.

The General Manager (Policy, Government and Public Affairs) of the company, Deji Haastrup, who confirmed the planned divestment to The Guardian yesterday, said the move was part of the company’s continuous evaluation of opportunities and the need to prioritise its portfolio.

He assured that the multinational oil firm would implement the divestment in line with the local content law, as indigenous investors are considered the preferred.

Chevron acquired OML 83 (Anyala field) and OML 85 (Madu field) after its acquisition of Texaco. The company

holds a 40 per cent interest in each of the two OMLs under a joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Madu and Anyala fields were originally discovered in 1993

by Texaco, but development was deferred in the 1990s because of cost calculations.

Chevron began a new development plan in 2004 due to the strengthening of oil prices, but in spite of the flurry of activities, neither field has been fully developed nor is in production.

In 2012, Chevron’s net daily production in Nigeria averaged 238,000 barrels of crude oil, 4.6mn cubic metres of natural gas and 4,000 barrels of LPG. Chevron’s move is the latest in the pool of divestment by the oil multinationals in recent times. The sale follows the divestment by Shell, Total and ENI of their joint venture onshore interests in the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan (right); former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili and Chief Uzoma Nwosu-Iheme, during the wedding of their children in Abuja… at the weekend.

What ’ll make Nigeria get UN permanent seat, by Tukur

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja HANCES of Nigeria cling“C ing the ticket to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council now depend on the success it would make out from its current war against terror-

• Says PDP not against any member ism.”

This was the observation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, after reviewing support for Nigeria

from various countries as well as the role being played by her internal policies on terrorism, corruption and political stability.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Tukur noted that Nigeria was getting closer to realising its ambition of becoming a member of the United Nations Security Council, given the support and good diplomatic ties, he claims, the country enjoys from relevant nations across the globe on the matter.

Tukur said the ambition might be realised during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to him, Nigeria’s contributions to world peace have also been a big consideration by relevant members of the Council who, he said, are in support of the country.

Tukur said he used his business links built over the years to know the rating of Nigeria in the race among third world

countries for membership of the UN Security Council. “I can say our rating is very high as a regional leader,” the PDP national chairman said.

On Nigeria’s security problems, Tukur said “the rest of the world, especially friends of Nigeria, have been eager to see the country surmount its security challenges as well as strengthen and ensure that political stability improved”.

Since becoming the PDP chairman, Tukur said he had made official trips to Britain, United States, Canada, France, Germany, South Africa and others while holding discussions with diplomats in all the countries. He noted that the promises of assistance from friends of Nigeria require that the country too gets its acts right in the areas of deepening democracy and raising stronger economy while ensuring that Nigeria remains a peaceful nation by surmounting its security challenges.

He said: “PDP harbours no malice against any member.

We only do not want to be a

flock without a shepherd. If we are not disciplined as a party, we certainly may not be able to produce the most progressive government in line with the greatest expectation of every Nigerian and the rest of the world.

“The PDP government led by President Goodluck Jonathan has a good agenda founded on desire to transform Nigeria.

The agenda has started bearing fruits. Indeed, the PDP should lead in the implementation.

We do not want to constitute a distraction to the President’s Transformation Agenda and for us not to be requires absolute discipline and loyalty from every member,” Tukur said.

“Right now, we are re-organising by way of bringing every one to appreciate the constitution and manifesto of the party so that when we go into election in 2015, we can win landslide as a family in the election which will rank as the freest, most peaceful and most transparent in line with the desire of President Jonathan,” he added.

Enugu Assembly gives scorecard From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu PEAKER of the Enugu State SOdoh, House of Assembly, Eugene has announced that the lawmakers passed a total of four bills out of six received and resolved 17 motions and six resolutions during the second session of the fifth Assembly.

Giving a mid-term report during House sitting, Odoh listed the appropriation law as one of the bills, noting that it received speedy passage and ensured continuous progress in the development programmes and policies of the state.

Another bill passed is the “Operation of Motorcycle Prohibition Law”, which banned the use of motorcycles for public transport in the Enugu metropolis.

According to him, motions

passed in the session were timely and in quick responses to the yearnings of the people such as those on incessant rape of elderly women in Opi in Nsukka Local Council and immediate reconstitution of the development area committees of the local council system.

Odoh stated that the session also recorded a landmark achievement with the adoption of the revised edition of the House Standing Orders as well as resolved to conduct her business in Igbo language.

The Speaker pointed out that it was a resolution of the House that authorised the state government to renew the N1 billion Term Facility from Fidelity Bank Plc under the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme.

“This resolution seeks to di-

versify and boost the economic base of Enugu State through creation of employment, food production at commercial quantity, provision of inputs for the industrial sector on sustainable basis and export promotion,” he said.

He noted that the various standing and ad-hoc committees of the House carried out their oversight functions by regular monitoring of activities of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure that government programmes are implemented and administered efficiently.

The Speaker said the House received and dispensed considerably several petitions referred to it among the- Ibagwa Nike Land Crisis in Enugu East Local Council, enquiry into the poor performance of the state Universal Basic Education Board and others.

Ogun to remember Abiola, declares June 12 holiday GUN State government O has declared June 12 a public holiday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election believed to have been won by its indigene, the late Chief M.K.O Abiola.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital.

It said the holiday would enable people to further appreciate the watershed that the annulled election represents, particularly as it served as the forebear of the current democracy which the country now enjoys. During the anniversary, the government would host a Democracy Walk and rally in Abeokuta.

According to the statement, participants will include workers, students, market women and men, artisans, members of civil society, prodemocracy groups and nongovernmental organisations.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the walk would begin at 7.30 a.m. from the June 12 Cultural Centre in Kuto and move through Oke-Ilewo, Lalubu Road, newly-constructed IbaraSokori-Totoro Road to Enu-gada/Lafenwa to Ago-Ika, Oke-Ido. Its first stop will be at the family house of the late Abiola in Oja-Igbo where Governor Ibikunle Amosun will lead others to pay homage to the family of the late politician.

According to the statement, from Abiola’s family house, the crowd will move to OdoOyo, Itoku, Sapon, Ago-Oko, Ake, Isale-Ake, Oke-Ejigbo, Ijaye, Iyana Mortuary to Abiola Way back to MKO Stadium where the governor will address the public.

It advised motorists who must travel along the route slated for the walk to be conscious of human traffic expected on the roads.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

NEWS

NCC seizes N6b pirated items in 18 months From Nkechi Onyedika, Abuja HE Nigerian Copyrights Commission (NCC) has estimated that by December 2013, about N10 billion worth of pirated items must have been seized by the commission within two years.

Already, the commission in the last 18 months has seized pirated items worth over N6 billion.

Director General of the commission, Adam Ezekiel who disclosed this to journalists during the Copyright Sensitisation workshop at British American Academy in Abuja on Saturday stressed the need to strengthen the regulatory framework, adding that the commission has embarked on the process of reforming the nation’s copyright system to make the penalty for copyright infringement stiffer to serve as a deterrent to people and more beneficial to stakeholders.

‘How Nigeria can boost security in Africa’

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UNDEDSS cautions against inflammatory statements, seeks dialogue

By Seye Olumide EADERS of the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS) of the Niger Delta have condemned anti-nationalistic politics of hatred that have recently become the norm with certain elder statesmen and some members of National Assembly.

Secretary General of UNDEDSS, Mr. Tony Uranta, on Saturday flayed the refusal by a sectional caucus in the nation to allow the passage into law of the Petroleum Industrial Bill (PIB) and the inflammatory statement credited to the former Head of State and Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Major-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

Uranta said it is the high time security agencies stopped otherwise-respected elder statesmen and political leaders like Buhari get away with dangerous statements that could trigger severe social dislocations, including terrorist and genocidal acts in different flashpoint parts of Nigeria.

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Jonathan can run another term, says Fasehun • Rules out early registration of UPN OUNDER of the O’odua FFrederick Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fasehun yesterday said that President Goodluck Jonathan had a constitutional right to run for a second term in office.

Fasheun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly only recently acknowledged the right of Jonathan to seek two terms in office, as provided for in the constitution.

Mixed reactions have trailed the third conference of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) held on May 20, at the Eko Hotels in Lagos with leaders at the conference being accused of unanimously endorsing Jonathan for the 2015 presidential polls. ``The Forum only acknowledged that the President has the constitutional rights to contest in 2015,” Fasheun said.

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From Oghogho Obayuwana, Foreign Affairs Editor Y virtue of holding the B portfolio of Commissioner for Political

Group Managing Director /CEO, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Phillips Oduoza (right); Vice Chairman, Amb. Joe Keshi; Deputy Managing Director, Kennedy Uzoka and Director, Amb. Adekunle Olumide at the 51st Annual General Meeting of the bank held in Abuja at the weekend.

Envoy blames administrative lapses for deportation of Nigerian From Isaac Taiwo, Nairobi, Kenya HE Nigeria High Commissioner to Kenya, Ambassador Akin Oyateru has hinged the deportation of Nigerian businessman, Anthony Chinedu who was among other six Nigerians deported from Kenya, on administrative lapses.

Throwing light on the incident when some group of journalists who were on familiarisation trip to Kenya at the instance of Kenya Airways paid him a courtesy call over the weekend, Oyateru endorsed the right of the government of Kenya to deport any erring citizen in her country, but added that this was expected to be

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done in conformity with international convention.

Oyateru, who is also the Permanent Representative to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Human Settlements (UN-Habitat) said: “I want to mention it that there is good rapport between the government of Nigeria and that of Kenya and the Federal Government recognises the fact that Kenya is a sovereign state with the right to deal with any erring foreign citizen.

“However, I submit that there should be an element of diplomacy coupled with strict adherence to procedures as spelt out in interna-

tional convention in carrying out such an exercise.

“We are still discussing it and I very much believe we will reach a common ground because since I resumed here as Nigeria Ambassador to Kenya 11 months ago, this is the first of a similar incident that would take place,” he said.

Also commenting on Nigeria community in Kenya, Oyateru said there had been cordial relationship between him and them.

“They guide the young ones who are arriving Kenya newly on how to settle down as good citizens, advise them on self regulation and also monitor them,” he said.

Govt needs N125.6b to deploy broadband facilities

By Adeyemi Adepetun HE Federal Government T might need about $795 million (N125.6 billion) to ring the entire country’s states capitals in its quest for broadband deployment.

This estimate is contained in the 109-page document titled: Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan 2013-2018 released by the Presidential Committee on Broadband to President Goodluck Jonathan.

A copy of the document obtained by The Guardian at the weekend revealed that the $795 million could double as a result of other additional costs including Right of Way (ROW) and project administration costs.

Specifically, the Presidential Committee on Broadband, which has former Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe as chairman and cochaired by the founder of Visafone Communications Limited, Mr. Jim Ovia noted that for Nigeria to become one of the world’s leading economies by year 2020, high-speed broadband networks that will provide every Nigerian with fast, reliable and affordable internet access is a fundamental

requirement.

According to the committee, which took about six months to prepare the report, broadband has been variously described as a transformative technology that levels the playing field and gives businesses access to regional, national, and international markets irrespective of geographical location, stressing that Mr. President’s goal in this plan is to produce a strategy and realistic roadmap that will make affordable broadband accessible to all Nigerians within the shortest possible time frame.

The huge success of digital mobile services, the committee described as a great platform upon which to build a national broadband strategy in the country.

The Ndukwe-led committee disclosed that the Federal Government’s position is that pervasive broadband services are in the best interest of the nation and no effort should be spared to reach all the currently unserved or underserved areas, adding that for improved access to infrastructure, the private sector must open up access to existing infrastructure including transmission networks and fibre ducts to enable more rapid cross country delivery

of services.

This, the committee said must be done with transparent cost-based pricing, which can be implemented immediately with all future network deployments operating under the same principle.

In calculating the funding requirements, the committee assumed that long distance fibre already exists and states need rings essentially to connect to this long distance fibre.

Also that within states, state capitals and major cities, there is need for Metro Fibre networks built and integrated.

According to them, the cost of building fibre within cities is estimated at $60, 000 per kilometre while the cost of building fibre around states is estimated at $20, 000 per kilometer, stressing that this difference can be attributed to the higher number of civil works, road crossings and restoration that will be required for Metro Fibre networks.

With six geo-political zones identified in the country, the respective states were broken down by land mass into large, medium and small, which to the committee requires an approximated fibre network of 750km, 500km and 250km respectively.

Affairs of the African Union (AU), Nigeria can help bridge the security gaps that have become apparent in the test running of the African Peace and Security Architecture in readiness for full take-off in 2015.

This is, among the other reasons, why the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) has now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) as well as the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA).

According to the ISS Regional Director, Ambassador Olusegun Akinsanya, this stems also from the fact that there currently exists gaps in the principle of subsidiary between the AU and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on the one hand; the AU and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the other hand which is provided in Chapter 8 of the UN Charter to make for badly needed synergy in peace and security interventions.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) disclosed recently that at the turn of the millennium, the continent’s Gross Domestic Product GDP was put at $600 billion. By the close of last year, this had risen to $2. 2 trillion.

But development experts believe that a huge chunk of African finances and energies are being consumed by burgeoning conflicts themselves as well as efforts to manage and contain them.

“This is the reason why we are now talking about the future of peace support operations. The AU currently lacks rapid response.

Something spontaneous. For instance, if not for Chad and France, the insurgents would have overrun Mali. That’s

where countries that have resources and operational capacity like Nigeria should come in. But this ought to be systematic.”

Speaking recently in an exclusive interview with The Guardian on the way forward for primordial and neo conflicts that now dot Africa’s landscape, Ambassador Akinsanya cited good examples where gaps bridged had helped to include the interventions of Ethiopia in Abyei, in Sudan last year and the work of UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNIFSA) in Kofordan and then the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which was also stepped up in Kenya in the country’s national interest. With all these experiences, the AU wants to operate but now they are saying pending the operationalisation of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA),” he added.

Maintaining that the continent’s biggest challenge today is peace and security, Akinsanya stressed that the AU agenda and strategic plan for 2063 must also now address the issue of IntraAfrican conflicts which are on the ascendancy.

He said: “Some conflicts like those in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan won’t just go away.

Then added to this are the new threats, insurgencies, terrorism, human trafficking, drugs, climate change adaptation, and its impact on security... new threats embody environmental sustainability, our submission is to the effect that the armed tension and insurgency vulnerability that led to the big bloodbath in Baga, northern Nigeria is linked to the drying lake Chad in Nigeria’s north east which has resulted in the exasperating need for new jobs. The pressure exerted by unemployment has clearly exacerbated environmental sustainability and has now thrown up food security issues as well.”

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

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‘Dana yet to compensate family of Prof. Onwuliri’ From Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi, Jos VER one year after she lost O her husband, Prof.

Celestine Onwuliri, in the June 2012 Dana Air disaster in Lagos, his widow and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Adaku Onwuliri, said no compensation has been given to her family by the management of the airline.

While urging the airline to reach out to other Nigerians who were affected, she stressed that the incident threw the family into serious challenges and described the sad event as a heavy blow on her family.

The widow spoke yesterday amidst tears while addressing journalists in Jos shortly after the one-year memorial mass for the late Prof.

Onwuliri at the Good

Shepherd Catholic Chaplaincy, University of Jos. “We have no link with Dana Airline, we have not seen them and we have no contact with them, so that is how it has been,” the minister responded to journalists’ questions. “I just hope they have reached out to other Nigerians that were involved.

“From the day of the incident on June 3, 2012, it has been a downturn of events for our family, it was a heavy blow and we have been feeling quite bad since then and the pain is still there.

“We thank Nigerians, the President and the First Lady and all other distinguished Nigerians for their outpouring of support and condolence, and the feelings people have had towards us since then. Though we are

Cleric urges prayers over national challenges NGLICAN Archbishop of A Lagos Province, the Most Rev. Adebayo Akinde, says God is willing to intervene in the challenges facing the country if Nigerians turn to Him in prayers.

Akinde told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos that the challenges, especially insecurity, needed urgent solution such as prayers, adding, “prayer is the solution to the national problem, as well as individual inadequacies.

“With faith in God and fervent prayers, everything in the sight of God is possible.

There will be no problems, especially those that were as a result of human error. As a nation, if we are serious about getting solution to our national problems, we need to turn from our wicked ways.”

The cleric attributed the current problems to grievous sins and unrighteousness in the land, stating that the bane of the society was nothing but lack of prayers and morals. He said the blessings of God have departed from the country, where a lot of societal vices have become the order of the day.

still in pains, we appreciate the support of Nigerians and thank God for His enablement that has kept us up till today.”

She noted that before the demise of her husband, he was a man of so many legacies that contributed to the growth of science and economic activities in the country. So she preferred Nigerians to remember him for his love and kindness for the country.

“You heard the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos say the institution called my husband Doctor Kindness, and I want Nigerians to remember him for his kindness, patriotism, hardwork and for the expansion and strength of the education sector,” she added.

“I want them also to remember him as a deeply religious person and moreover as a great family man, who loved his wife, children and indeed anybody that came across him.”

At the church service, meanwhile, Mrs. Onwuliri urged Nigerian professors to be disciplined and to contribute positively towards the development of the education sector, just as he tasked them to be dedicated to research work rather than creating confusion with petitions that only compound the challenges the sector was currently facing.

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, University of Jos, Prof.

Hayward Babale Mafuyai, also urged Nigerian scholars to build on the late Onwuliri’s intellectual work, noting that, “as a distinguished scholar and academic, references will continually be made to his works. His lectures are part of the fabrics that make up many zoologists practising their professions around Nigeria and beyond.

“There are also 24 PhD holders who owe the publication of sound PhD thesis to him.

His fingerprints continue to shape and mould academic life, scientific work and research.”

President, Revelations Technologies Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ron Moser (left); Chairman of the company, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi; Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu; Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Prof. Dan Adebiyi and Representative of Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, during the launch of Primeau Water Filter, in Lagos…yesterday

Edo Assembly demands apology from NAMA over Oshiomhole’s ordeal

By Wole Shadare and Chika Goodluck-Ogazi OLLOWING the detention of Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s flight by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) last weekend, the Deputy Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Festus Ebea, said the Edo people demand apology from the agency for embarrassing the governor.

The agency had delayed the pilot of AOS helicopter, which was supposed to fly Oshiomhole from Benin to Akwa, Anambra State, demanding his official documentation.

Speaking with journalists in Benin City yesterday, Ebea said the action was not proper, wondering: “Knowing that it was a chartered flight carrying the governor, why not wait to deal with the issue later? The government of Edo State demands apology from the management of NAMA. That was a big embarrassment to the governor and the people of Edo State.”

The Deputy Speaker, who is also an aviator, condemned the claim that the

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Oshiomhole was delayed for 10 minutes, explaining that the governor was kept waiting for over an hour.

Explaining why the pilot did not file his manifest before flying, Ebea said the authority should have allowed the plane to land at its destination since it was within the

country and afterwards, every necessary action taken against the pilot.

He further argued that the NAMA officials, by their action, have given room for political interpretations to the issue by orchestrating the whole thing to make it look politically motivated.

Ondo feuding communities urged to beware of mischief-makers From Niyi Bello, Akure OLLOWING the recent communal disturbance sparked off by an unsubstantiated rumour against the monarch, residents of IleOluji in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Council of Ondo State have been tasked to confirm their information before taking any action.

Bishop of the Cathedral of St. Peter (Anglican Church), Ile Oluji, Rt. Ven. S. Adekunle, gave the advice at the weekend during the funeral service for late Mrs. Victoria Adesoji, wife of the Chairman of Ondo chapter of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Adekunle cautioned against

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rumour peddling, stating that it was disheartening that educated people could act on rumour to cause confusion in the entire town for three consecutive days.

While describing death as inevitable for every human being, he urged people to live everyday as if tomorrow would never be.

Last week, irate youths staged a violent protest against their monarch, Oba Suulola Adedugbe, chased him out of town and sacked the palace, a part of which was torched over rumour that he prevented the location of a polytechnic in the town, which was later discovered to be false.

Why Nigeria is having problems, by Maitama Sule

By Tunji Ajibade, in Zaria LDER statesman and E Nigeria’s former permanent representative at the United Nations, Alhaji Maitama Sule, says the nation has found itself in an unenviable situation because, “people with no experience in administration are now in power.”

Speaking at the weekend during a public lecture on the topic, “Political Development in Northern Nigeria - 1949 Till Date,” Sule noted that the younger generation in the late 1940s and 1950s, such as himself, actually formed and held important positions in the earliest cultural organisation, Jami’iyar Mutannen Arewa (Organisation of Northern People), which raised the consciousness of northerners.

Yet, when elders embraced it, he and others had to step down because they “realised the importance of having elderly people,” and this was the secret of the success of the organisation at that time.

• Youth, elders do not complement each other • Self comes before nation, me before others According to him, that organisation transformed into the Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC), which became a political party in 1952. He observed that its manner of leadership was a factor in its success from 1952 till the coup of 1966.

“The best organisation in the world is a combination of the old and the young, the experience and maturity of the old and the dynamism, radicalism and youthful assurance of the young,” he pointed out.

Northern leaders of that time, such as Ahmadu Bello, he said, deliberately made younger ones such as himself, Shehu Shagari and Justice Mamman Nasir (rtd) to work with them in order to make them gain experience in administration because of the realisation that the future generation must be trained.

The secret of the success of the younger generation he belonged to in the North, and

which was groomed by such leaders as Ahmadu Bello and the late Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, was that the younger generation respected the elders and made effort to learn from them, each category complementing the other, Sule explained.

At the lecture, which was organised by Liberty Chamber, a students’ capacitybuilding and self-improvement body of the Law Faculty, Ahmadu Bello University, Kongo Campus, Zaria, Sule said that politics, as played by politicians in the pre-independence period, was significantly different from what obtains today.

According to him, leaders of that time did not put self first but the nation. He cited an occurrence at the 1952 Jos Convention, where a new president was to be elected for NPC after its first president, Dr. Russel Barau Dikko, had

resigned and withdrew from politics because he was a civil servant.

At the convention, many had wanted Tafawa Balewa as party president, and there was going to be an election between him and his rival, but Balewa put the unity of the party and that of the North first and declined to participate in the election, Sule noted.

He conceded the Presidency to Ahmadu Rabah, later known as Ahmadu Bello, who became president of NPC and later the Premier of Northern Region. And though political leaders in the North were of different religions and ethnicity, he added, “we were all brothers, irrespective of religion or tribe.”

At the national level, he recalled, leaders of that time, Balewa, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, united by putting the interest of the nation first as independence time approached, even though they were divided by regions and party, as well as ethnicity.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

Anglicans demand handover of school

NEWS

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More controversies trail police killing in Edo

From Chuks Collins, Awka NAMBRA State’s continual A hesitation to hand over Bishop Crowther Memorial Primary School to the Anglican Communion is raising friction between the church and its Catholic counterpart in the region.

However, the delay in handing over the school is being linked to the dispute over its ownership, as it is located beside the Catholic Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha.

The Archbishop of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Most Rev. Val Okeke, had in 2008 written the then Bishop of the Niger Province, Anglican Communion, Ken Sandy Okeke, on why the Catholic Church was averse to having Anglicans fellowship within the school, as it was against the norm for a different faith to be sited near a Basilica.

But The Guardian learnt recently that the signboard bearing the Bishop Crowther name was pulled down by unknown persons and replaced with another name.

Also, it was discovered that about 300 other schools owned by other churches and communities had been handed over to the Catholic Church.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nnamdi Udechukwu, a member of Governor Peter Obi’s reconciliation committee, headed by a distinguished retired chief judge of the state, Justice Goodwin Ononiba, alleged that the committee submitted its report without input from other members.

Nevertheless, the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Uju Okeke, told journalists that she was aware of the Bishop Crowther issue and would immediately bring it to the notice of the governor.

FCT indigenes salute Senate constitution review panel From Terhemba Daka, Abuja N indigenous group in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Original Inhabitants’ Development Association of Abuja (OIDA), has commended the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution for including a mayoralty system of governance for the nation’s capital in its recommendations.

According to press release jointly signed by OIDA President, Danladi Jeji, and Mr. Emma Ezeazu of the Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE), “the amendment of Sections 299 and 302 of the 1999 Constitution by the Senate gives credence to the indigenous people’s quest for democratisation of governance in the FCT as contained in its memoranda submitted to the National Assembly, and as earlier proposed by the Solomon Ewugaled Ministerial Committee on FCT Indigeneship, Land and Political Administration in 2000.”

If passed into law, the group stated, “democratically-elected mayor and deputy mayor will aid good governance and accountability to the FCT electorate, unlike the current ministerial system that lacks transparency and accountability to the people.”

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From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City AMILY of the slain 22-yearold student of the University of Benin, Ibrahim Momodu, yesterday raised fresh dust with the allegation that police report that the victim was shot in the legs was false, stating that autopsy reports from his exhumed body showed he was shot in the back, and the bullet piercing through his chest.

A statement by counsel to the family, Jeff Uwoghiren, which was made available to journalists in Benin City yester-

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day, alleged that preliminary reports of the pathologists, who examined Momodu’s remains, showed that he was shot from the back with three bullets, which tore his heart, before exiting through the upper part of his chest.

Though the police last weekend appealed for calm while they sought advice for prosecution on the alleged killing, Uwoghiren said the police lied when they claimed that the late Momodu was shot while attempting to fire a Russia-made cut-to-size gun at them.

He demanded that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ogida station, Mrs. Carol Afegbai, and other members of her patrol team be immediately charged for murder and conspiracy to murder an innocent person.

The statement also accused the police of trying to clear DPO Afegbai of the accusation that she shot the late Momodu by claiming that her orderly fired the shots, which killed Momodu.

Though there had been conflicting reports of the late Momodu’s clean records,

Uwoghiren said: “The family also rejects attempt by the police authority to exonerate the DPO because of her high rank and gender, but is happy to sacrifice her orderly, even when the DPO had severally claimed to have personally pulled the trigger, an action that is consistent with her known sadistic conduct in the Ogida area of Benin City.

“We the solicitors to the family of Ibrahim Momodu, the student shot dead by the DPO of Ogida Police Station, Benin, note with concern and dismay (the) attempts by the

police authority in Edo State to obfuscate the legal process of bringing the accused DPO, Mrs. Afegbai, and members of her patrol team to trial by delivering report of the police investigation on the murder of Ibrahim Momodu to the Director of Public Prosecutions without first charging the accused police officers to court.

“The gruesome and premeditated murder of Ibrahim Momodu is part of a consistent act of serial killings by the DPO and her murderous gang.”

Okorocha faults U.S. security report on Imo • Firm holds forum in Owerri today From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri OVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has faulted the United States’ (U.S.) recent report that listed Imo as one of the states riddled by security problems in the country.

In a statement in Owerri, the state capital, at the weekend, by the Commissioner for Information, Strategy, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Chinedu Offor, Okorocha said the U.S.’ claim was false.

He tasked the report to consider the legions of foreigners residing or doing business in different parts of the state, where they earn their living unhindered. And urging people to ignore the report, the statement said that “peace, safety and harmony” prevailed in the state.

Meanwhile, Addax Petroleum, towards stimulating interest in volunteer activities among Nigerian students, will today organise a motivational workshop for students in Imo State.

A statement by its media officer, Mr. Michael Owhoko, which was made available to The Guardian over the weekend, said the workshop entitled: “Volunteer Club Motivational Workshop for Students in Imo State” would hold at All Seasons Hotel, Owerri.

It added that it would afford the participants, who were chosen from different schools, exposure on the activities in motivational volunteerism in order to participate actively.

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Guest speaker, Prof. Okey Iheduru (left); Managing Director, Nexim Bank, Roberts Onya and Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Jaiz Bank Plc., Hassan Usman, at the BusinessDay Banking Conference 2013 in Lagos…at the weekend.

PHOTO: AYODELE ADENIRAN

Court declares attempted arrest of five Lagos chiefs rights abuse

By Bertram Nwannekanma USTICE Adeniyi Onigbanjo Jdeclared of Ikeja High Court has the invitation of five Lagos high chiefs by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Commissioner of Police, Monitoring/Special Investigation Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Mr. Ali Amodu, a violation of their fundamental rights.

The judge also declared the attempt to arrest and detain the applicants upon the petition of the respondents as a

calculated attempt to dispossess them of their land and property at Ilasan and a violation of their fundamental rights.

Onigbanjo further restrained all the respondents, including the IGP, from further steps in any manner pertaining to the issues raised by the parties and relating to the land, the subject matter of Suit No. LD/2758/94, pending the hearing and determination of any appeal by the respondents or the applicants.

The applicants are Muritala Adedoyin Elegushi, Morufu Elegushi, Segun Tijani Elegushi, Sabitu Elegushi and Murphy Adetoro. Sued as third to10th respondents are: Fatai Jimoh, Kola Mustapha, Adigun Lamina, Mufu Lamina, Fasasi Lamina, Muti Mustafa, Fatimo Mustafa and Anota Jimoh.

The applicants, by amended application, asked the court for a number of declaratory/injunctive reliefs against the respondents regarding the alleged

breaches or threatened breaches of their fundamental rights concerning issues directly connected to title to land at Ilasan, which had been declared in their favour in Suit No. LD/2758/94.

Upon service, the IG and the Commissioner of Police chose not to respond to the suit in any way while the third to 10th respondents, upon service, filed a notice of preliminary objection, praying the court to strike out or dismiss the application for amendment.

Polio can be eradicated by end of 2014, says IMB

By Chukwuma Muanya HE Independent T Monitoring Board (IMB) for polio eradication, which was set up by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), said yesterday that polio transmission could be stopped by end of 2014 if key fundamental changes are made.

A report of the IMB’s May meeting, which was published yesterday, commended the programme on the fundamental changes that have transformed the effort into a more responsive and coordinated health initiative that has brought polio to the lowest levels ever.

Meanwhile, IMB has put forward key recommendations to address fundamen-

• Nigeria records no new case, immunisation for mid-June • ‘Obese children have increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, cancer’ tal changes that are still needed, noting: “While poliovirus has been knocked down, it is certainly not knocked out. In the midst of so many strengths, why focus on the weaknesses, because the poliovirus will seize on them.

“Impressive as recent progress has been, the IMB is firmly of the view that the task of stopping transmission in the remaining endemic areas is enormous and should not be underestimated.”

However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is worried that over 75 per cent of overweight children live in developing countries, with

the prevalence in Africa almost doubling in the last 20 years, and that obese children are more likely to be obese as adults, with an increased risk of diabetes and other diseases.

According to new information released yesterday by WHO, many low and middleincome countries are neglecting overweight and obesity as major health threats, with policies in place to tackle under-nutrition but lacking in policies to halt the growing burden of diseases due to the rise of overweight and obesity.

The WHO Guidance, to help countries close these policy gaps, is a consolidated pack-

age of 24 Essential Nutrition Actions, which outlines the most effective ways that countries can improve their peoples’ nutritional status by preventing both undernutrition and overweight.

There are many factors during pregnancy and infancy that can affect an older child’s and an adult’s weight.

Meanwhile, according to the Weekly Polio Update published by GPEI, no new Wild Polio Virus (WPV) case was reported in the past week in Nigeria. The total number of WPV cases for 2013 remains 24. The most recent WPV case had outset of paralysis on April 25, WPV Type One

(WPV1) from Borno.

According to the report, no new case of Circulating Vaccine-Derived Polio Virus type two (cVDPV2) was reported in the past week.

The most recent cVDPV2 case had onset of paralysis on November 24, 2012, from Kebbi. It noted that preparations are ongoing for the next sub-national Immunisation Plus Days (IPDs) in mid-June.

In Israel, nevertheless, WPV1 was isolated from sewage samples collected on April 9, 2013, in Rahat, southern Israel. The virus has been detected in sewage only; no case of paralytic polio has been reported. Genetic sequencing and epidemiological investigations are ongoing to determine its origin.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

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WorldReport Sudan freezes oil, security deals with South Sudan UDAN has put on hold South over backing rebels, Snomic nine security and eco- who analysts say humiliated pacts with South the authorities with recent Sudan, including on vital oil shipments, but said Khartoum remained committed to good relations if Juba ended support for rebels.

“We will stop all nine agreements, not only oil,” Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman said at a news conference.

“We are still committed to have good relations with South Sudan and if they are serious about implementing the nine agreements, we can return to cooperate with them,” Osman added.

His comments followed an order on Saturday from President Omar al-Bashir to shut the pipeline carrying South Sudanese crude for export.

He had earlier warned the

attacks.

South Sudan’s government in Juba denies supporting insurgents in the north, and in turn has accused Khartoum of backing rebels on southern territory.

South Sudan, in comments made ahead of the Khartoum news conference, vowed to work with the north despite its moves to close the pipeline.

“We will continue to implement the terms of the cooperation agreement,” South Sudanese Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told reporters.

However, Juba’s army claimed Sudanese troops had pushed southwards across the demilitarised buffer zone into South Sudan’s Upper Nile state.

Residents watch the high tide scale of the river Elbe in Schoenebeck, eastern Germany, as central Europe’s worst floods in a decade moved through the northwest of Hungary and into the capital, Budapest.…yesterday.

PHOTO: AFP

Israel reveals sharp rise in cyber attacks from Iran, others SREALI Prime Minister Irevealed Benjamin Netanyahu has that His country has been the target of a growing number of cyber attacks from Iran and its militant allies Hezbollah and Hamas.

Netanyahu told a cyber security conference at Tel Aviv University that “in recent months, we have identified a significant rise in the scope of cyber attacks by Iran which are carried out directly by Iran and its proxies Hezbollah and Hamas,” referring to the Lebanese Shiite militia and the Palestinian Islamist movement which rules Gaza.

“The targets are essential systems,” he said without elaborating, in remarks communicated by his office.

“We are building the capability to deal with the attacks and

we are holding back most of them while aspiring to build a ‘digital Iron Dome’,” he said of Israel’s vaunted missile defence system.

Israel has come under repeated cyber attack in recent years and has set up a dedicated government unit to combat this.

In April, the Shin Bet domestic security agency reported what it said was a mass assault by hacker groups, although it caused only negligible damage.

In November, Israel said it was hit by an “unprecedented” cyber-warfare campaign as it waged an eight-day operation against Gaza militants.

At the time, the activist group, Anonymous, claimed it had downed or erased the databases of nearly 700 Israeli sites in protest against the offensive.

Swiss vote for tougher asylum law Manon Schick, the head of HE Swiss voted overInternational’s T whelmingly yesterday in Amnesty favour of a government Switzerland section, also move to tighten the country’s asylum law amid a spike in refugees, in what opponents of the changes decried as a “disaster”.

A full 78.4 per cent of voters embraced changes made to the asylum law last September as applications soared to their hightest level in over a decade.

Opponents of the asylum law revision, which includes the removal of military desertion from a list of valid grounds for seeking asylum in Switzerland, voiced deep disappointment at their defeat.

“The referendum is a disaster for asylum seekers and refugees and leaves no winners,” the committee that had requested the vote on the changes said in a statement, hailing the “minority of the population that still has a conscience”.

lamented the “very, very high” percentage of Swiss who had voted in favour of the revision.

“We knew in advance that we would lose,” she told Agence France Presse (AFP), pointing out that the Swiss have repeatedly voted to tighten their asylum law since it went into effect in 1981, “but that it was this bad was very disappointing.”

Celine Amandruz of the populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP), however, welcomed the strong support for the tougher law, insisting that nine out of 10 people who seek refuge in the wealthy country did so “for economic reasons”.

“There is clearly a need to change this system,” she said.

One of the most controversial revisions was the removal of military desertion as a valid reason for asylum.

U.S. security chief seeks criminal probe over intelligence leaks IRECTOR of United States D (U.S.) National Intelligence, James Clapper, has canvassed a criminal probe into bombshell leaks of government monitoring of Internet users and phone records, amid a furor over the secret programmes’ threat to privacy.

This came as Clapper confirmed on Saturday that U.S. spy agencies use the PRISM programme to gather data trails left by targetted foreign citizens using the Internet outside the United States.

However, the security chief, in an interview with NBC News, portions of which aired yesterday, called the disclosures “literally gutwrenching” and said they had caused “huge, grave damage” to U.S. intelligence capabilities.

This is someone who for whatever reason has chosen to violate a sacred trust for this country… And, so, I hope we’re able to track down whoever’s doing this, because it is extremely damaging to, and it affects the safety and security of this country.

“The NSA has filed a crimes report on this already,” Clapper told NBC, referring to the leaks to The Guardian and The Washington Post.

A report by Agence France Presse (AFP) quoted Clapper as saying in the NBC’s interview that he was “profoundly offended” that a disgruntled intelligence officer was a source for the leak to the Post.

“This is someone who for whatever reason has chosen to violate a sacred trust for this country,” he said.

“And, so, I hope we’re able to track down whoever’s doing this, because it is

extremely damaging to, and it affects the safety and security of this country.”

Glenn Greenwald, the Guardian reporter who brought to light the PRISM programme and a separate programme that trawls through U.S. phone records, said the public had a right to know and openly debate what the government was doing.

“Every time there’s a whistleblower, someone who exposes government wrongdoing, the tactic is to demonise them as a traitor,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“What they were seeing

being done in secret, inside the United States government, is so alarming they simply want one thing. And that is, they want the American people to learn about this massive spying apparatus and what the capabilities are, so we can have an open, honest debate.”

Clapper said he understood public concerns about the invasion of privacy and threats to civil liberties, but that “a lot of what people are seeing and reading in the media is a lot of hyperbole.”

The intelligence chief has declassified some details of the PRISM programme in the face of a storm of controversy over suggestions that the government had a back door access to the servers of Internet giants like Google, Facebook and Yahoo.

Rival Koreas hold first talks after months of tensions, threats FTER what is seen as A months of tensions and threats of nuclear war, North and South Korea yesterday held their first official talks for more than two years with a view to set up a high-level meeting in Seoul.

The working-level discussions – weighed down, as always, by decades of mutual distrust – were held in the border truce village of Panmunjom where the armistice ending the 1950-53 Korean War was signed.

“The overall atmosphere was... calm and the discussion proceeded with no major debate,” the South’s Unification Ministry spokesman, Kim Hyung-Seok, said after the morning session between the two delega-

tions, each comprising three representatives.

The talks moved into a fourth session in the evening as the two sides sought to agree a framework for what would be their first ministerial-level meeting since 2007 – tentatively scheduled in Seoul on Wednesday.

The agenda will focus on restoring suspended commercial links, including the Kaesong joint industrial complex that the North effectively shut down in April as tensions between the historic rivals peaked.

Seoul said it would be represented by Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae as chief negotiator and has asked the North to send Kim Yang-on, head of the United Front

Yesterday’s talks came about after an unexpected reversal on Thursday from North Korea, which suddenly dropped its default tone of high-decibel belligerence and proposed opening a dialogue.

Department of the ruling Workers Party of Korea, as its top negotiator, according to Yonhap news agency.

“Today’s talks were purely preparatory, so there was little room for dispute,” said Yang Moo-Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

“We’ll get a better sense of where things really stand on Wednesday,” Yang told AFP. Yesterday’s talks came about after an unexpected reversal on Thursday from North Korea, which suddenly

dropped its default tone of high-decibel belligerence and proposed opening a dialogue.

South Korea responded swiftly with its offer of a ministerial meeting in Seoul, the North countered with a request for lower-level talks first and – after some relatively benign to-and-fro about the best venue – the meet in Panmunjom was agreed.

In a further signal of intent, North Korea on Friday restored its official hotline with the South, which it had severed in March.

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

Politics Ohanaeze, others insist on state for Southeast From Kodilinye Obiagwu, Lawrence Njoku (Enugu), Charles Ogugbuaja (Owerri), Uzoma Nzeagwu (Awka) and Leo Sobechi (Abakaliki) S various shades of reactions trail the dashed A hopes of many in the Southeast over the much-expected creation of states by the National Assembly following ongoing constitutional amendment; stakeholders have insisted that nothing short of an additional state would be acceptable to the people of the zone.

The Senate Committee in its report struck out 61 applications on grounds of noncompliance with constitutional provisions. Of the 61 applications, the Southeast has demand for two states — Aba (Abia) and Adada (Enugu).

In its reaction, the apex socio-cultural organisation of Ndigbo insisted that the Southeast would continue to demand parity and the creation of another state in the zone.

“We do not care how they do it. Whatever has to be done must be done as long as the Southeast is brought on the same level with other zones,” said the organisation’s President-General, Chief Gary Enwo Igariwey.

He said that the equalisation of the zones is the only way for the survival of the country, stressing that Ndigbo reject in its entirety the decision of the committee, which he said is “anti-nation building.”

While pointing out that Ndigbo reject the five states imposed on the Southeast, he said that any, “nation that must survive must do so based on equity, justice and fair play,” adding, “it is time to address the cry of marginalisation by Ndigbo.”

“They (National Assembly) must equalise the zones by whatever means that they want to take if they don’t want to create new states,” he said. “If they want to do so by the special votes of the National Assembly, let them go ahead and do it, but what we are saying is that Ndigbo need at least one additional state to equal it with other zones with six states.

“We cannot to be marginalised by our fellow Nigerians. Let them do whatever is possible to address the lopsidedness in the polity and give Ndigbo their due share in the interest of justice.”

Former Minister of Aviation in the First Republic, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, described the development as the continuation of the marginalisation of Ndigbo in the scheme of things in the country, stressing that the time had come for Ndigbo to come and rethink on how to live in Nigeria.

“In creation of states, Southeast was reduced to

five states while others have six and seven states,” he said.

“Some years ago, a decision was made to create an additional state in Igboland to balance the polity. What the resolution means is that the marginalisation of Ndigbo should continue and the injustice continue.”

He noted that, “our people are still licking the wounds of the Civil War. Ndigbo should come back home and think how to belong to Nigeria.”

“It is for Nigeria to take care, it is for the political leaders to take care; otherwise, they are moving towards a dangerous precipice and Nigeria as it stands today is sitting on a keg of gunpowder.”

Amechi said that issues that prompted the war over 40 years ago had not been settled even with the declaration of “No victor, No vanquished,” alleging an orchestrated plan to ensure Ndigbo continue to play a second fiddle.

He continued: “The Civil War ended almost four decades ago and when it ended, the then Head of State said no victor no vanquished. It was borne out of hypocrisy because when the war ended, Igbo property were treated as abandoned property and no compensation paid.

“A year or two after the war, the entire currency was changed and the Igbo was affected and no matter how much you had, you were given only two pounds.”

He also claimed that the Federal Government decided there would be no power in Igboland and, “they did this by closing the Oji Power Station then running on coal. The Afam power station in Aba division was excised and annexed to Rivers State.”

He said that crises had been happening in the country and on each occasion, “it is the Igbo people that are killed and their property destroyed.

When a book was written overseas sometime against, the Muslims came back here and instead of confronting those who wrote against them, started killing Igbo and destroying their property.”

“Look at what is happening now. Some people are busy killing others in the North in the name of Boko Haram. What the Federal Government decided to do was to give them amnesty, pay them money and the people who suffered from these brutalities are not being taken care of.

“Look at the case of MASSOB members, who were found with no guns; they (government) decided that they should face treasonable charges.”

A National ex-officio member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Mr. Amaechi Okeke, said the Senate took the position because members did

Igariwey not understand the feelings of the masses of the Southeast.

He noted that, “this is a wake-up call for Southeast legislators to come together and reconsider the fate of an average Igbo man in Nigeria. Are we part of Nigeria; don’t we deserve better treatment and the number of states in Nigeria should be balanced?”

He said that by this decision, “we will continue to lose revenue, employment, infrastructure because anything would be shared according to the number of wards, councils, states, etc. This is pure marginalisation; Nigeria is not one.”

Mr. Chibuzor Molokwu, a public affairs analyst, feels that the committee ought to have first created a balance in all the zones before anything else.

He insisted that it had taken a wrong decision in its failure to understand the feelings of the people on state creation.

“They forgot that it’s only the Southeast that has five states and the rest have six or seven,” he said.

“The Constitution should be amended to bring the zone at par with others first. Failure to do so is not democratic and will amount to gross marginalisation of the Southeast.”

While harping that the number of states in a zone is one of the parameters for sharing the “national cake,” and that Ndigbo must not be denied the opportunity, Molokwu said, “creation of additional state will give the Southeast more bargaining power in the comity of other zones, because the

number of states qualifies for number of allocation of seats at the National Assembly, national planning, distribution of federal projects, etc.”

A former two-term lawmaker in the Imo State House of Assembly, Mr. Oliver Enwerenem, faulted the National Assembly for its “untenable excuses for not creating another state in the Southeast.”

According to him: “It is very unfortunate that only the military could create states in this country. It is also unfortunate that a democratically elected civilian government cannot create states. The stability of our country is at stake. I advise the National Assembly to find solution to this.”

Mr. Ogechukwu Ezeajughi, a political scientist noted that, “many of us had thought that the creation of additional state in the zone would have been a step towards proper re-integration of Ndigbo into the Nigerian federation, but the present stance of the Senate means that this is a perpetuation of injustice to the Igbo nation.”

Mr. Obasi Uchenna, a businessman in Awka, Anambra State, said that the decision was worrisome and a bad omen for the zone.

“This implies cheating of Ndigbo are part of the marginalisation we have been complaining about for long,” he said.

“For balance, even if the Senate committee could not create more states, our zone should have been considered and given one more state to make us be like others.

“We are told that Nigeria is made up of three major tribes, and if they want to maintain the balance, let there be equal states.”

Meanwhile, a lawyer and former member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Ray Akanwa, said that he thought the National Assembly would have used the opportunity of the constitutional amendment to break the jinx that civilian administrations cannot create states in Nigeria.

Regretting that “since they have examined the documents and come out with that position, so be it,” he said the legislators should have acquiesced to the demand for the creation of additional state in the Southeast for fairness and equity.

He said until the National Assembly published the various requests for state creation, it would be seen that the legislators decided to give their own interpretation to constitutional provisions regarding state creation, stressing that the nation would continue to witness agitation for more state.

Odigie-Oyegun, Obakhedo disagree on state police, council autonomy From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City IRST civilian governor of Edo State, FcisedChief John Odigie-Oyegun, has critithe Senate’s opposition to creation of state police and the granting of autonomy to local governments, saying the actions were antithetical to a federal system that the country says it is practicing.

He, however, agreed with a political scientist from the University of Benin, Neville Obakhedo, that a six-year single term for President and Governors could help stabilise the quest for power and rotational agitation by various ethnic groups in the country.

“One single tenure for Presidents and Governors, I think it is okay; it reduces the frequency of elections; it increases the frequency of rotation, though we don’t call it rotation but I mean we will just be putting our heads in the sand if we say we don’t know that’s really what is happening,” he said.

Oyegun continued: “What I opposed very strongly is local government autonomy. I am just disgusted about that.

“In a federation, it is only the states

Odigie-Oyegun that are federating units and it is just like it takes the federal to create the state. Let them leave the states to also determine the system of local government they want to run.”

Oyegun added: “We still haven’t understood the basics of federalism; they (Senate Committee) also rejected state police. I find those things

very astonishing.

“Quite frankly, it is incomprehensible; we have to decide whether we want to run a federation, whether we don’t.”

He said that state police has become almost mandatory; “it has become a necessity for proper security.”

“No matter how much organisation of 300,000 to 400,000 people to police the people, there is no way in our circumstances that we can run them effectively,” he said.

“The Army is even different because it is very tightly structured but the police are mere civilians and a lot more free and you can have effective police.

“Let us allow states to intervene; let us allow them elbow room to use their own methods to control security in their various states because they are the ones that have local knowledge and I don’t think there is even any local government that will want its local government to become known as the focus of criminals.

“So, when there is competition, they will be borrowing ideas from each other; they will be strenuously trying to keep their areas free of bandits and criminals, and the country will be

much better for it.”

Oyegun said he could understand the fears of possible mis-use of police, “but there is federal mis-use of police; it does exist.”

“The Amaechi example is still there: when they suddenly removed all their security details; whose decision was that?”

“So, those two issues — local government and state police — I still feel very strongly about them. I think we are still on the wrong track and I am not sure they have even removed the local government from the Constitution the way it is.

“Thus, the basic fundamental issue of federalism has not been addressed; we still have very serious problems ahead of us.”

However, Oyegun said only a national conference could help solve the anomalies, “because what they are doing now is just superficial and they think they can get away with it.”

“What we need is not only to make this nation survive, but also to thrive,” he said.

But Obakhedo believes that the local government autonomy could be acceptable even though it negates the general principles of federalism and

could be situated as homegrown.

“If we say we are operating a federal system of government, what we have here in Nigeria is that local government is seen as a tier of government, which is a variant,” he said.

“It is like a homegrown federal system where powers are no longer divided between the central and federating units alone, but between the federal, state and local governments.

In that wise, a homegrown democracy, and one can support that.”

On state police, he said: “It is not that it is wrong for us to have state police, but the Nigerian state is not currently ripe for state policing like what we have in other areas where the states have their own courts up to the Supreme Court.

“But for now, the states are not ripe. If you see what is happening, they want to conduct local government, the sitting government will like to make sure that all elective positions for contest are won by the ruling political party by hook or crook across the length and breadth of the country.

“So, if you say state police, that means that those in the opposition are likely to be victims of state terrorism through the state police.”

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

TheMetroSection Lagos Island Maternity Hospital clocks 54 , repositions to meet modern challenges

By Godfrey Okpugie Deputy Lagos City Editor OREMOST baby making factory, the Lagos Flished Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos, estabin 1959, clocked 54, on May 13, this year.

Getting the management of the hospital to speak since last month was not an easy task as The Guardian was first directed to get approval from the Lagos State Commissioner of Health. The approval from the commissioner came only recently before the hospital’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Oreose Donald Imosemi, agreed to speak.

Imosemi, who spoke on the challenges faced by the 54-year-old institution and what is being done to modernize it, said the place had played prominent role since it first started operation in the 50s, when it was apparently the only General Hospital in the whole of Lagos, up till the ‘70s and ‘80s, when a few other General Hospitals began to spring up.

According to him, “Despite the fact that, over time, other hospitals have sprung up to complement what we do, the hospital is still unique in the sense that it is a stand-alone mono-specialist hospital that is just into obstetrics and gynaecology.”

“And if you look at its structure, it has 250 beds devoted only to maternity and gynaecological services. There is rarely any other institution, either tertiary or General Hospital, that has the kind of capacity that we have in terms of the number of beds,” he said, adding, “that makes us the ultimate referral point where other hospitals – General Hospitals, maternal and childcare centres, are short of space and beds because they don’t have the number that we have.”

“Of course, alongside the fact that we have such large number of beds, cots and cradles, we have a proportionate personnel level to be able to function and almost invariably, too, we have the infrastructural capacity to match with this number.”

Alongside the number of beds, Imosemi said: “What further underlines the hospital’s functionality is our capacity to respond to what we call emergent obstetrics.”

While explaining that most of the cases of women dying in pregnancy usually occur around when they are in labour and the immediate period after labour, usually within the first one week and they are all due to event of labour and a few days up till one month after labour, he said the emergencies that spring up during this period are usually very challenging and they stretch and task the capacity of a number of General Hospitals. This is where Island Maternity owes its uniqueness in the sense that where others have problems coping with emergencies because they don’t have enough beds, personnel and they cannot perform on a 24 hourly basis, Island has the capacity, almost inelastic capacity to cope with emergencies on a 24/7 basis.”

He said when all the hospitals, including private hospitals in Lagos and even outside Lagos State such as Ogun, Oyo and others have emergencies, they find succour here because the Governor of Lagos State, Batunde Fashola (SAN) has emphasized that no pregnant woman who comes in an emergency situation should be denied care because she does not have money.

“We have a mandate to do what we have to do to ensure that the woman and the baby survive even when she doesn’t have the money,” he stressed.

Based on this awareness, he deposed that cases that have either been managed elsewhere but unsuccessfully or people that do not have money rush to the hospital, which has the capacity to handle them.

The Island Maternity Hospital

Island Maternity babies “This means that we are ever working round the clock attending to these emergencies in addition to our own basic care as an institution,” said Imosemi.

He said the basic functions of the hospital include taking care of gynaecology cases, which include women who are not pregnant, who have gynaecological challenges, bleeding problem, fertility problem, fibroid and cancer, making it a tertiary centre.

Asked to comment on the quality of care at the hospital, Imosemi said: “In terms of quality of care, the government in the last 10 years, particularly in the last four, five, six years, has massively invested in infrastructure. In Island Maternity, government ensures that it gets further rehabilitated. In the last couple of years, government had ensured we are more functional. For example, as a specialist hospital, we own and run three operating theatres. That is to say, we can attend to three life-threatening emergencies simultaneously with access to 24hour un-interrupted power supply.”

He added: “When you talk of comfort, the government has provided light but we, as an institution, are working along with the board of the hospital to take initiatives to ensure that we come up with a situation where we will have private wards that provide services that are comparable with what obtains abroad. Our campaign has begun to yield fruits. We have had individuals and corporate bodies that have accepted to adopt our private wards for a start and then the general wards. What the adoption means, is

Dr. Imosemi that, these people will come in and working with us on the template that have been carefully laid by the board and getting the support of the government, we will improve the quality of what we have in the private wards.

The wards are going to undergo significant face-lift, provide all the basic things that would guarantee comfort.

When asked to compare Island Maternity to other high-class institutions in Nigeria and then say where Island Maternity belongs, Dr. Imosemi said most of them are privately run for profit and do not have the capacity to handle the number of cases that the hospital runs.

“For the heavily challenged Nigerians and Lagosians, who need to be helped, Island Maternity continues to remain the melting point.

If you look at the statistics monthly, in recent times, we have between 250 to about 350 deliveries and this is happening at the time the Lagos State government is building hospitals and a number of deliveries have shifted to several other places where deliveries are taking place in the state, close to or well over 50 per cent of the cases that are handled here are emergencies and many of the cases, if they do not have money, we still handle them to save lives. But the private institutions, with due respect to them, would not do that because they are private sector establishments,” he said.

On what is being done to reposition the 54year-old hospital to modernize it? Imosemi said: “The government through the Ministry

of Health already has a mission of the kind of healthcare system it wants to have. However, Island Maternity Hospital, as an institution, has a vision, which we, in conjunction with the board, are articulating very clearly in what is called ‘service chartered document,’ which is coming out very soon and which is what the state government asked all its ministries, departments and agencies to be doing. Our vision is to ensure that we evolve into a world-class institution that provides quality that meets with international standard. Here, we have ensured that all our activities are continually evolving to meet global best standards.

For example, if there is an emergency, like an emergency cesarean section, between 30 to 45 minutes of arrival, that woman should be operated upon. That is our target here, too. We are achieving that. And one of the ways we have done that is to increase our capacity.”

“The government has put in place a machinery to ensure that even when we lose a woman, it is going to review such death to find out why the woman died. Is it that the government did not provide enough or the workers did not provide enough or that the case had been mismanaged somewhere? If the case was mismanaged, is the government going to allow that to continue? So, there is already in place a systematic review, which we called Maternal Death Review (MDR ). It is a systematized thing comparable to what obtains abroad,” he explained.

METRO 13

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

Photonews

etihad Airways’ General Manager, nigeria and West Africa, Maurice Phohleli (left) and MasterCard Vice President and Area Business head, West Africa, Omokehinde Ojomuyide during the partnership signing event between the two companies in Lagos...

Overall Best teacher, Agege constituency II, david sunday Owolabi (left); lawmaker representing Agege I constituency, hakeem Masha; Agege Local Council Chairman, taofeek Adaranijo; initiator of the programme and lawmaker representing Agege II constituency, yinka Ogundimu at the flag-off of the education support Programme for Public Primary schools in Agege Constituency II, Lagos... at the weekend.

28 public schools get free writing materials in Agege

By Wole Oyebade O fewer than 28 public N primary schools in Agege Local Council, Constituency II, Lagos, would benefit from an education support programme aimed at giving free writing materials to public school pupils.

The programme, an initiative of Lagos State House of Assembly member, Oluyinka Ogundimu, is to promote free education in public schools.

At the flag-off held at Dairy Farm Primary School Complex, Agege, about 200 pupils representing some of the 28 primary schools collected writing materials. Besides the writing materials, projectors and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment were also given to the schools.

Ogundimu said the programme was in response to

the need of pupils in public schools.

He said: “Our goal is to return standard to our public schools and there has been great improvement lately.

Now, our schools are competitive as shown by the results coming from public schools in Agege. This new support would further boost excellence. It is one of those things that I promised them during my election campaign and this is in fulfillment of the promise.”

Stressing the importance of education, Ogundimu advised parents and guardians present at the ceremony to enroll their wards in the ongoing compulsory free Nursery/Universal Basic Education for the 2013/2014 school year.

Outstanding teachers in the constituency were also rewarded at the event attended by State government officials, traditional rulers,

members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), educationists among others.

Mr. David Owolabi went home with the Overall Best Teacher’s prize, while Mrs Titilola and Mrs Salami Kudirat were rewarded with the first and second runners up prizes.

Education Secretary for the Local Council, Olalekan Majiyagbe commended the programme, describing it as a motivation for the schools to do more.

“The lawmaker is giving us education materials and awards to our teachers. We are elated to get this and it is well -deserved. Our records speak for us. We have the Overall Best School in Lagos State, the best Local Council, we produce the best teacher, pupils, best in science, best ICT centre and so on. With the new support programme, we are challenged to do more,” he said.

Do not waste food, Nigerians told

By Adebisi Olonade HE United Nation Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos branch on Friday urged market men and women to help narrow the hunger gap and improve the wellbeing of the most vulnerable.

The Information Officer of UNIC, Lagos branch, Olajumoke Araba, delivering a message from the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Ban-ki Moon to mark the World Environmental Day at Daleko Market Mushin, with the theme: Think. Eat. Save: Reduce Your Foodprint, said it was the duty of all citizens to ensure access to adequate nutrition for all.

Olajumoke said food waste “is something that needs to be addressed. Infrastructure and technology can reduce

T

the amount of foods that perish after it is harvested and before it reaches the market.”

She urged the government and all other actors in charge of global food chain to take responsibility for environmentally suitable food systems as the current global population of seven billion is expected to grow to nine billion by 2050 but the number of hungry people need not increase.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Nigerian Environment Society (NES) Lagos State chapter, Eugene Etuah, who emphasized his concern over how many homes in Nigeria waste food, said many farm produce do not make it from the farm to the table, either due to carelessness or lack of good machineries. She also advised

Brief

the public on proper ways of disposing refuse and urged them to save the environment and maintain cleanliness at all times because a dirty environment can attract pests, which will not only waste food products but can also cause harm to humans.

However, the Chairman of Mushin Local Council, Olatunde, Babatunde Adepitan, who was represented

by Emmanuel Bamigboye, said the event was a clarion call for all Nigerians to address the challenge of food wastage. He said rather than eat beyond what is sincerely needed for a healthy growth, the excess should be given to those who do not have enough to eat so that they would not wake up and go to bed with empty stomach.

special Assistant to Cross River state Governor on Legal Matters, Mrs. Rosemary Onah (left), Programme director, Public Procurement, Law and strategy, university of Bangor, Wales, dr. Ama eyo and Partner, J.O.Fabunmi & Co., Mr. Olukayode Fabunmi at the Business Law Academy One-week executive Course in Public Private Parnerships and Infrastructure Financing at Abu dhabi, united Arab emirate...

director of Consumer electronics, home Appliances, It and B2B, samsung electronics West Africa, sunil Kumar (right), Managing director, samsung electronics West Africa, Brovo Kim and samsung electronics’ home Appliances and Consumer electronics Brand Ambassador, Ms. Kate henshaw at the press briefing on samsung’s new range of ‘timeless design’ products in Lagos ... at the weekend PhOtO: FeMI AdeBesIn-KutI

executive secretary, Africa Brand Review, Ayodele Joseph (left), Brand Manager, Chelsea dry Gin, Akintayo Akinseloyin and deputy director, Investigation and enforcement, national Agency for Food, drugs Administration and Control (nAFdAC), tawa Arilesere at the Africa top dealers’ Award Organised by Africa Brands Review in Lagos ...at the weekend .....

PhOtO; AyOdeLe AdenIRAn.

He appealed to all traders to

Ogidi-Ijumu community honours nike Okundaye on saturday ENOWNED batik artist, Mrs. Nike OkunR daye, has been honoured with a Life Achievement Award by the Ogidi-Ijumu community in Kogi State. The award is in appreciation of her contributions to the development of the town, especially in the empowerment of women.

The National Public Relations Officer, Ogidi Development Union, Mr. Thomas Oladipo Akande, said the award would be one of the highlights of this year’s Ogidi Day celebration, which would hold on Saturday, June 15, 2013.

According to the statement, the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Nigeria, Mr. Bert J. Ronhaar and former Chief of Army Staff, Maj-Gen Alwali Kazir (rtd) are among digni-

taries expected at the event, which will also feature the launch of a N50 million appeal fund for the completion of the Ogidi Water Supply project.

Managing Director of Daily Trust Newspaper, Alhaji Isiaq Ajibola, will be the Chairman while former Presidential spokesman and the Chairman of the Editorial Board of Thisday Newspaper, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi will deliver the keynote address.

An Abuja-based entrepreneur, Dr. Emeka Okonkwo will also be installed as the new Amowomoni I of Ogidi by the Ologidi of Ogidi, Oba Rabiu Oladimeji Sule, Eseyin Mogede II.

Work in progress on high Court-Igberen Road, Ota, Ogun state. It is sponsored by Adeojo, Aboloyin and Igberen Community development Associations in collaboration with Ado-Odo Ota Local Council of Ogun state.

PhOtO: BABAtunde OsO

14 | THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

TheGuardian Conscience Nurtured by Truth

FOUNDER: ALEX U. IBRU (1945 – 2011)

Conscience is an open wound; only truth can heal it. Uthman dan Fodio 1754-1816

Editorial LETTERS

New naira notes for sale Amnesty for terrorists?

RISP, freshly minted naira currency notes, which are scarce in the banking C halls are cheekily available at parties or any social gatherings to the delight S of patrons, who haggle and purchase at premium rates.

This naira notes comedy would be amusing if it were not an offence under Section 21(4) of the Central Bank Act 2007, punishable with an imprisonment term of not less than six months, or a fine not less than N50,000 or both.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has put out notice that peddling and distribution of naira currency notes is unlawful, but it appears the noise at these social gatherings has drowned out the advice.

It is indeed ironic that while fresh currency notes, which are in the custody of the CBN and the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company and passed through the commercial banks are usually unavailable to legitimate account holders at the banks, they are mysteriously available, exclusively, it appears, to private petty traders with enough stock and guts to re-sell them to citizens in need of clean notes.

This is a sad commentary on the duplicity of the banking system in fostering the supply of clean notes to hawkers while neglecting customers.

The CBN should also erase the hint of hypocrisy on this matter by clamping down on this illegality. The supply route of the freshly-minted cash begins in the banks and no institution is better placed than the same CBN to search out the culprit banks for sanctions.

CBN should go further to circulate clean currency notes to the Nigerian people and stop its dirty notes policy that has apparently goaded the elite in urban Nigeria into scrambling for freshly-minted notes in the hands of hawkers, in obvious infringement of the law.

Checking illicit fund flows from Africa AMENTATION by Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan and South Africa’s former President Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, on how illicit funds flow from Africa and stunt the continent’s growth, is revealing and worrisome. According to Thabo Mbeki, head of the United Nations’ High Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, the continent currently loses at least $50 billion annually through illicit fund flows. Losing such a staggering amount to illegal acts, in a continent blighted by underdevelopment, characterised by huge infrastructural deficit, dehumanising conditions of living, rising poverty and youth unemployment, among other socio-economic malaise, is criminal.

The phenomenon does not only stifle economic growth and development, it is also a potential source of political instability and insecurity. It is against this background that the call for the need to stem the tide should be appreciated. Unless urgent steps are taken to reverse the trend, Africa may be digging itself into a development quagmire.

While such revelations as this, together with the call for remedies are useful and capable of creating public awareness about the problem, they are certainly insufficient. If African leaders are serious about tackling the problem, they must first identify the actors and sources of such illicit funds and block the flow. To be sure, the main actors are usually known to high ranking government officials and in many cases are actually their cronies. Traceable to blatant crimes, drug trafficking, piracy, oil bunkering and such other illegalities, these funds flow, unfortunately, having been aided by government officials, even as law officers look the other way while government departments and revenue agencies have become real conduit pipes for them.

Merely lamenting the situation and calling for remedies therefore is not enough.

African leaders should take decisive steps, show utmost sincerity by demonstrating strong political will to fight corruption in its entirety. Such a war against corruption, including illicit fund flows, can only be fought successfully if the leaders themselves live an exemplary lifestyle devoid of corruption. President Jonathan, for instance, cannot be credited with sufficient political will to fight corruption in Nigeria. Hence his call that “we should look within”, as well as his demands for “robust assistance from the developed world” to fight the scourge, though appealing, are not helped by his actions or inaction.

It is also important that African governments take necessary measures to consolidate ongoing banking reforms. If sustained, the banks may increasingly become an unlikely avenue of transferring such illicit funds as money launderers will have to confront many difficult questions they may not be able to circumvent. Moreover, African governments should adopt and codify all international anti-money laundering protocols and establish effective enforcement mechanisms.

These are some of the steps that must be taken towards eliminating illicit money flows from Africa.

L

IR: To some people on the high horse, life means nothing when things are still going their way. Not until they lost a soul dear to their heart would they for once think and act congruently along the line of unmitigated logicality.

President Goodluck Jonathan was reported by Newsdiaryonline.com as saying that some suspected Boko

Haram terrorists under the watchful eyes of prison guards in the country would be given presidential pardon to go home in peace leaving those whose relatives were mercilessly bombed out of life, wail and nurse their wounds forever uncomforted.

I don’t mean to sound braggadocios of my previous public efforts in joining rea-

The healing power of sleep Sleep deprivation takes SandaIR:tolloverall on your mind, body health in ways that may surprise you.

Research shows that chronic lack of sleep is linked to cold and flu, diabetes, heart disease, mental health and even obesity. So it is natural to ask: does getting adequate sleep protect you from illness? The answer is yes, it protects.

Sleep is a quiescent period were the cells are doing a lot of repairing, your hormones act differently when you are asleep, and your immune system as well, “if your immune system is out of work, you cannot fight off illness and I would venture to say that you cannot repair your cell very well either”.

Here are some health problems that research shows are worsened by lack of sleep

and may be improved by getting at least seven hours of sleep at night.

When you are sleep deprived, you often feel “worn down” and that is clue that your body is vulnerable to infection. Not getting enough sleep makes you more vulnerable to picking up illness and not being able to fight them off. The less sleep you get, the weaker your immune system is, leaving it less able to fight off colds, flu and other infections.

Studies have even found that being sleep-deprived can affect our response to vaccines. Since your immune response is suppressed, the body is slower in response to the vaccine to build up sufficient anti-bodies.

• Mohammed Abdulwali Abba wali4lyfe@yahoo.com.

sonable members of our society condemning everything condemnable about lousy resolves coming out of the Aso Rock in recent times. Can one tell me that this regime is not a magnificent advert for the plague of misfortunes Nigeria has been contending with in the past few years?

The other day, it was an army of treasury looters and corrupt brigades that were given presidential pardon for stealing more than enough to cater for their families and to the detriment of pensioners and job seekers without due consideration to people’s feelings. The decision to free the lucky members of the Boko Haram sect without a court order will forever remain an unfortunate pronouncement by the president.

However, the tragedy of a people lies in the failure to recognise and promptly reject doctrine of insolence and insipid in politics. People say there’s always a “next year.” It is a phrase that disguises impotence and failure. The folly of this example became multiplied by the choruses that lauded its wisdom. By the way, Boko Haram means death, life terminator, property destroyer, enemy of the nation; yet, Jonathan’s verdict is “no sufficient evidence” to punish them. Nigeria we hail thee.

• Sam Aruleba London.

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Business Business Interview P54 Structural deficiency in Nigeria’s budgeting system assailing economic plans

Nigeria retires matured bonds, plans to curb rising local debt

By Chijioke Nelson, with agency reports HERE were indications that the nation’s rising debt profile may have raised serious concerns, as plans are now underway to reduce projected borrowing, while matured bonds are retired.

Specifically, Nigeria retired matured bonds worth N75 billion, which matured in February and unfolded plans to cut domestic borrowing to N500 billion ($3.1 billion) in 2014, as part of a move to reduce growing debt.

The Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, who made the disclosure in an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg at the weekend, said this year’s local borrowing target of N577 billion is expected to decrease next year.

She said that this was part of the strategies Africa’s biggest oil producer is using to retreat from the height reached in 2010, when it exceeded a target of N867.5 billion and sold N1.1 trillion of bonds, adding that the country will continue to do so to

T

reduce debt.

“No one in government is supportive of a Nigeria that returns to a high state of indebtedness. Our current approach balances Nigeria’s needs for investment in physical and human infrastructure, with a strong policy to limit overall indebtedness in relation to our ability to pay,” she said.

Nigeria’s local debt has grown since it liquidated the foreign debt in 2006, with the nation’s real sector presently reeling under the pains of high benchmark interest rate, which has remained at a record high of 12 percent since October 2011.

As at March 2013, domestic debt stood at N6.1 trillion, while foreign debt stood at $6.7 billion.

However, under the new strategy, the government is planning to increase foreign borrowing to about 40 per cent of total debt from current 14 per cent, in a move to access cheaper, longer-term foreign loans to reduce shortterm domestic borrowing.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s currency weakened further against

the dollar, recording the worst weekly performance in a year, just as speculations were rife that the state-owned oil company will offer limited foreign-exchange to the market.

A London-based emerging

markets strategist at Standard Bank Group Ltd., Samir Gadio, said that yields on domestic bonds due January 2022 rose to their highest since October at the weekend, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Line Rail Project that will commute two million passengers daily from Alagbado to Marina.

Mr. Hakeem Olopade, the bank’s executive director (Projects), disclosed this in Lagos on Thursday at the ongoing 3rd Economic Commission of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Investment Forum.

The Infrastructure Bank Plc is the chief promoter and financier of the rail project.

The funds, to be coordinated by the Infrastructure Bank, will be sourced from the local and international markets.

Olopade said that the project had been in conception since five years ago and would be implemented by Marina Express Consortium to ease transportation in populated areas of Lagos.

According to him, the Red Line Rail project would stretch 37 kilometres with 36 pedestrian walkover bridges to end at the Marina.

Olopade said that that the Red Line and the ongoing

Blue Line Rail projects would converge on a “signature bridge” to link the mainland to the Marina. He said that the bridge would cost $200 million.

Olopade said that the Red Line Rail project might be extended to Ogun State in the future.

He said that the Red Line Rail project would be a two- type infrastructure, which would cost one billion dollars each.

The executive director said that the bank, in implementing the project, would be

responsible for the fixed infrastructure as it would be responsible for the fixed infrastructure as well as the operation and maintenance.

Olopade said that the moving infrastructure would have a rail signal communication, among others.

Olopade said that one of the core objectives of the Red Line project was to provide a world-class rail system.

He said that the bank would also ensure that there was constant improvement in the area of service delivery to the people of Lagos State.

Govt unfolds job creation agenda

By Taiwo Hassan what may be a step IingNtowards solving the lingerunemployment crisis identified in the country, the Federal Government has unfolded seven key sectors of the economy that could jumpstart and stimulate job opportunities.

The government reiterated that it was aware about the high rate of unemployment in the country, but admitted that these key sectors were already having positive impacts on unemployment reduction.

The sectors listed by the government are agriculture;

Lists key sectors to drive employment information communication telecommunication; works and housing; petroleum/oil and gas; power and energy; solid minerals; transport; trade and investments; and manufacturing/ industry.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu, who made this disclosure at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce’s breakfast seminar in Lagos over the weekend, said government was not folding its hands, but working assiduously at creating job opportunities, to

per cent before trading 0.3 per cent lower at 159.35 per dollar as of 12:25 p.m. in Lagos, the commercial capital, which extended its weekly decline to 0.7 per cent, the biggest fall since the five days through June 8, 2012.

Industrialist and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Salisu Buhari (right); Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Ms. Evelyn Oputu; and Executive Director, Waheed Olagunju, at the capacity building workshop for business journalists, in Lagos, at the weekend.

Infrastructure Bank leads $2bn funding for Lagos rail project HE Infrastructure Bank Plc T is to provide funds for the proposed $2 billion Lagos Red

“It is likely that the Central Bank of Nigeria will intervene in the market in the near term and sell dollars directly to the banks to defend its nominal monetary policy anchor.”

Naira fell by as much as 0.4

reduce the unemployment crisis in the country.

According to him, it was not government’s responsibility to create jobs for Nigerians, pointing out that the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration has taken a proactive approach on this matter by drafting in the private sector to spearhead and stimulate job creation in the identified key sectors of the economy, while government would only ensure that there is conducive business environment for them to operate

smoothly.

Wogu noted that the approach was already achieving positive results in the sectors in terms of reducing unemployment in the country.

For instance, the minister said that agricultural sector has been the biggest transformation as a roadmap to job creation in recent time, stressing that the sector has employed and created about 1.5 million jobs for Nigerians.

According to him, agricultural sector was strategic to the administration’s master plan as a sector to stimulate CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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16 BUSINESS

LCCI tasks govt on protectionist policy

By Femi Adekoya ORRIED by the increasW ing number of nonnationals, especially Asians, in the retail segment of the economy, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), has called on government to revisit its protectionist policy in order to protect existing jobs within the distributive trade sector.

Besides, the chamber also tasked the Federal Government on the need to address the issue of economic diversification as part of measures to address the gloomy outlook of the economy and the growing concerns in the global oil market.

In a communique issued at the end of its meeting recently, the chamber noted that the increasing number of expartriates in the retail segment of the economy is beginning to have a negative impact on the economy, especially in terms of employment generation.

The communique read in part: “Council noted with concern the increasing number of non-nationals, especially Asians, in the retail segment of the economy, especially the open markets. This has resulted in the gradual crowding out of indigenous enterprises in the Distributive Trade Sector.

Council therefore calls on the

appropriate agencies of Government to quickly address the problem in order to protect existing jobs in the sector.

“Council reiterated the need to diversify the economy in the light of the unfolding scenario of declining prices of crude oil globally and the challenges confronting local production. Council noted that the economy as currently structured is very vulnerable to external shocks. All these create a gloomy revenue outlook for Government which is a major cause for concern.”

The chamber noted that one of the factors to be addressed in diversifying the economy,

is the creation of an enabling environment that will enhance productivity and efficiency in the non-oil sector of the economy.

The chamber however commended the initiative of Dangote Group to build a 400,000 barrels per day capacity crude oil refinery, adjudging it as a profound demonstration of commitment to the industrialisation and economic self-reliance by the Dangote Group.

It therefore urged the National Assembly to accelerate the consideration of the Petroleum Industry Bill (P.I.B) in order to make such and similar investments profitable and sustainable.

In terms of access to credit and provision of infrastructure, the chamber expressed concern about the difficulty many businesses encounter in accessing credit, due to

high interest rates and the persistent tightening of Monetary Policy.

The chamber decried such actions to be in conflict with the desire to stimulate the economy and create jobs, while expressing its desire to see, in the short term, the SMEs lending framework recently promised by the Nigerian Bankers Committee.

“The state of the roads leading to the ports has now become a major factor in ports congestion which has implications for cost of cargo clearance at the ports. The Federal Government needs to pay urgent attention to the nations ports and gate way roads.

“Council noted the persistent delays in the clearing of cargo arising from valuation Most often the Customs Intelligence Unit would query

the valuation of a cargo even when the Valuation Unit of the Customs had endorsed the cargo for release. There are also many instances where cargoes are delayed for re-examination at the exit gate. All these practices predispose the processes to corruption. Council therefore urges the Customs High Command to address this concern.

“Council commended the ongoing remodeling and rehabilitation of the airports nationwide. These would enhance Nigeria’s image, perception and serve travelers the better. The economy would benefit greatly from the good first impression that the new look airports would create. Meanwhile, the council admonished the aviation authorities to rid the airports of touts.

UBA’s shareholders approve 50 kobo dividend per share of United in Abuja on Friday, affirmed Bank also recorded marked ShaveHAREHOLDERS Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc that the restructuring and improvement in the contribucommended the board transformation of the finan- tion of its African subsidiaries and management for the Bank’s sterling performance and dividend payment to investors during the financial year ended December 31, 2012.

The shareholders, who approved the payment of N0.50 per share dividend the bank’s yearly general meeting

cial institution have been beneficial to investors.

A shareholder and National Coordinator of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu in his observation stated: “We are happy with the dividend for the 2012 financial year because it represents a consolidation of the bonus shares that we received in the previous year.”

Continuing, Nwosu added: “The board and management should be commended for the way they handled last year’s transformation of the bank, they have done well and we look forward to a better dividend next year Chairman of UBA, Chief Israel Ogbue, noted that the 2012 financial year ushered in a new era for UBA, with the consolidation of its-African expansion. “I am delighted with the progress our Bank has made and the concerted efforts in delivering strong returns” he said.

The performance of UBA in 2012 was the outcome of some bold and strategic initiatives said Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Phillips Oduoza. “The

to Group performance, deepened penetration in the ebanking market, along with significant wins in the critical sectors of the economy,” he stated.

On the outlook of the bank Oduoza, said the bank has began it’s next phase of growth. “As we commence on this growth trajectory, our immediate priorities are clear.

Adoption of an enhanced customer centric approach to market and service delivery will be the key driver of our strategic thrust, with focus on low cost deposits mobilisation and quality asset creation. We will also continue to drive regional synergies across our various jurisdictions and leverage our unique technology platform to offer value added services to our customers across Africa,” With operations in 19 African countries and presence in New York , London and Paris , UBA provides banking services to over seven million customers through expansive retail distribution outlets. Its ability to deliver tailored financial solutions based on high-value customized products and services sets it apart from peers end.

Govt lists key sectors to drive employment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 employment, adding that agricultural is now a key sector employing various people from different disciplines.

He noted that the sector has been transformed in line with global best practices especially it is now a merchandise and highly rewarding sector, which is been driven by private sector initiative.

He pointed out that the present Minister of Agricultural, Dr. Shina Akinwunmi has brought in his vast experience into the administration by overhauling the sector and made it the number one greatest employer of labour force in Nigeria.

“Job creation lies within the private sector and government responsibility is to create conducive business environment for private sector to thrive and that will stimulate employment in the country,” he said.

Speaking on the ICT, Wogu explained that telecommuni-

cation sector presently has been one of the key sectors designed for job creation, adding that the privatisation of the sector and the coming on board of different private telecommunication companies has opened up job opportunities for Nigerians.

On Works and Housing sector, the minister said that the sector too has really performed to the expectation of the government’s plan, adding that various key road projects being constructed throughout the federation was part of the master plan to reduce unemployment in the country.

For the Manufacturing and Industry sector, Wogu noted that the sector has become a hub for job creation, pointing out that Dangote Group of companies have been the biggest employer of workforce in the country, even more than the government parastatals.

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survey rates PHCN low in provision of electricity

By Roseline Okere ORTy-sIx per cent of Fsurvey respondents to a recent expressed their dissatisfaction on the present performance of Power Holding Company (PHCN) as regards provision of regular power supply in the country.

This has however confirmed the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo’s statement that over 120 Nigerians had no access to electricity.

A survey conducted by TNs RMs, one of the leading global research organisations, titled: “The Pulse of the Nation survey”, made available to The Guardian recently, stated that respondents in Kano, Ibadan and Lagos said that the performance of PHCN was now worse, while 39 per cent in Lagos and 32 per cent in Kano said that PHCN performance had remained the same.

According to the report, majority of respondents were optimistic about the dividends of the planned government privatisation programme. “Forty nine per cent believe the perform-

General Secretary, Association of Investment Advisers/Portfolio Manager (IAPM), Mrs. Olufunke Aiyepola (left), Adeolu Bajomo of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Oscar Onyema, Vice-President, IAPM, Oluwatoyin Sanni, Haruna Jalo-Waziri of the NSE, Akin Adeniyi, Abimbola Olashore, both of IAPM and Executive Secretary, IAPM, Akiduro Philips, during a visit to NSE…recently. ty, electricity and economic ing the performance of the ance of PHNC will improve if as they believe power supply respondents said that govNigerian economy. “Only development. the parastatal is privatised. will go down if the paras- ernment was not responsive to their needs employment, The report noted that there two per cent of respondents Twenty five per cent said that tatal is privatized.” were mixed feelings regard- said that the economy was It added that 39 per cent of electricity, amenities, securiPHCN’s performance would remain the same, while 17 per cent said that power supply would go down if the parastatal was privatised.”

The report hinted: “Respondents in Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Kano are optimistic about the government initiative to privatise PHCN. However, respondents in Enugu and Port Harcourt are pessimistic

Ago-Iwoye hosts first economic summit gO-IwOyE is set to receive A the crème la crème from Ogun state, Nigeria as whole and other parts of the world who are expected to participate in the first economic summit slated for June 15, 2013.

The summit, with the theme: “Unlocking the Economic Opportunities and Potentials for Development” is being put together by the Egbe Gbobaniyi Ago-Iwoye and will hold at the AgoIwoye City Hall.

The summit was part of the efforts to make Ago-Iwoye a modern and economically stable city that can achieve sustainable economic growth and prosperity among other societies.

According to the organisers, the main objectives of the summit were to provide a platform for top-level publicprivate dialogue on specific economic issues, establish a consensus on policy options aimed at transforming the city of Ago-Iwoye, harness its abundant human and natural resources for economic development, attract local and international private investors and articulate a roadmap for its development.

Basically, it will focus on how to provide and make road infrastructure, electricity, water, education, transport and security agriculture/agro allied businesses available to the city and its people.

Diamond Bank, Jigawa to partner on agric, health, EPZ projects IAMOND Bank Plc has D expressed its readiness to bring forth prospective clients that would invest in agriculture, healthcare and Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Jigawa state.

A senior official of the bank, Alhaji Muhammed Lawan shuaibu, disclosed this at the Jigawa Economic and Investment summit, adding that the bank successfully partnered with the state government in its first ever Jigawa Investment summit.

However, the state government, through its Commissioner of Commerce, Hajiya Hauwa sulaiman Baffa, has commended the bank for its support as the official banker of Jigawa state Economic and Investment summit, which was held to harness the economic potentials of the state.

The theme of the summit

was “Mobilising investments for sustainable development” and was attended by different stakeholders, including investment advisors and analysts, bankers and statesmen.

At the event, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in a keynote address, described Jigawa state as the most investorfriendly state in the federation, adding that the country had to exploit its population strength of over 170 million people from the widely acclaimed land of opportunities to translate that to a land of actuality.

He noted that the problem of the country’s leadership was that “of unmet expectations,” stressing that government at all levels must invest in the people’s education in order to overcome poverty, redundancy and criminalities.

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Fed’s $5.7 trillion stimulus faces test of rising yields HE most relentless surge T in borrowing costs for United States (U.S.) corporate debt in four years is threatening to derail this year’s record pace of sales, as concern deepens the Federal Reserve will curtail unprecedented stimulus Yields are climbing for a sixth week from last month’s record lows and touched 3.78 per cent, the highest level since September, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate & High Yield index. UK oiland-gas services provider Petrofac Ltd., (PFC) cited market conditions for canceling its issue of investment-grade dollar-denominated notes as sales fell below the 2013 average for a second week.

While the Fed has enabled companies to borrow $5.74 trillion in the bond market since the end of 2008 by suppressing benchmark interest rates at close to zero per cent, debt investors are becoming more discriminating as policy makers consider tapering their monthly bond purchases. That may blunt the record pace of sales, which reached $757.3 billion this year, after an unprecedented $1.48 trillion of issuance in 2012, according to data compiled

by Bloomberg.

Paring Inventories “Last year we said over and over again that it’s an issuer’s market and the tables, at least recently, have turned,” Jody Lurie, a corporate credit analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in Philadelphia, said in a telephone interview. “Borrowers are listening to the demand of the investor.”

Concern that interest rates will rise further has sparked a sell-off in longer-dated corporate debt, leaving $146 billion of investment-grade bonds in the U.S. with maturities greater than 10 years trading below par, Bloomberg bond index data show. The discount notes have swelled from less than $30 billion at the beginning of May. Dealers sold a net $3.1 billion of investment-grade notes in the past week, JPMorgan Chase & Co. credit strategists wrote in a note. The biggest banks are paring inventories even as investors absorb $16

Obama billion of new debt issuance in a weakening market, which is unusual, said the strategists led by Eric Beinstein in New York.

“It may reflect dealers coming into this selloff period longer than they wished,” the JPMorgan strategists wrote.

“Presumably they are less long now.”

Elsewhere in credit markets,

Bernaike the cost of protecting corporate bonds from default in the U.S. fell. The Markit CDX North American Investment Grade Index, which investors use to hedge against losses or to speculate on creditworthiness, decreased 2.2 basis point to a mid-price of 81.6 basis points as of 9:43 a.m. in New York, according to prices compiled by Bloomberg.

The index typically falls as investor confidence improves and rises as it deteriorates. Credit-default swaps pay the buyer face value if a borrower fails to meet its obligations, less the value of the defaulted debt. A basis point equals $1,000 yearly on a contract protecting $10 million of debt.

The U.S. two-year interest-

rate swap spread, a measure of debt market stress, decreased 0.2 basis point to 16.95 basis points as of 9:44 a.m. in New York. The gauge narrows when investors favor assets such as company debentures and widens when they seek the perceived safety of government securities.

Bonds of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) are the most

actively traded dollar-denominated corporate securities by dealers, accounting for six per cent of the volume of dealer trades of $1 million or more as of 9:45 a.m. in New York, according to Trace, the bondprice reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Borrowing costs for the riskiest to the most creditworthy issuers in the U.S. have climbed from 3.705 per cent at the end of last week after touching a record low 3.35 per cent on May 2, Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data show.

The jump in yields, which averaged 4.07 percent in 2012, marks the longest streak of increases since the eight weeks ended October 31, 2008, at the height of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

The extra yield investors demand to hold company bonds rather than government debt increased to 228 basis points as from 212 on May 31 after reaching 201 on May 22, the least since October 16, 2007, Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data show.

Sales in 2013 have climbed 17.5 per cent from the corresponding period last year, Bloomberg data show.

Offerings this week of $15.7 billion followed $14.4 billion in the period ended May 31, a week shortened by the Memorial Day public holiday in the U.S. Weekly sales have averaged $33.7 billion this

Employment report boosts optimism on Fed’s monetary policy HE latest jobs report on T Friday showed that government spending cuts have so far not been as damaging as some feared, Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser said, adding that it only entrenched his opinion that the Federal Reserve should reduce its bond buying “now”.

In an interview, the long-time critic of the U.S. central bank’s quantitative easing program told Reuters he was comfortable with the recent rise in market interest rates as investors increasingly predict he and fellow policy-makers will reduce the pace of accom-

modation sooner rather than later.

Yields on U.S. government bonds rose again on Friday after the Labor Department’s jobs market report showed employers in the United States stepped up hiring in May, adding 175,000 jobs.

“It shows that the fears of the sequester (spending cuts) and the layoffs, while they may be there, have not been as damaging yet to overall employment as some people had feared,” Plosser said.

“We would all like it to be stronger but there’s no reason for us to feel bad about the

numbers that came out,” which he said showed the economy produced jobs at a “moderate rate.”

In pressing for a reduction in the Fed’s bond purchases as soon as this month, Plosser is in the minority of the Fed’s 19 policy-makers. The majority appear to still support buying $85 billion in Treasury and mortgage bonds per month to keep rates low to spur investment, hiring and overall economic growth.

Still, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and some others are increasingly, if tentatively, saying they could dial down the

purchases in the months ahead if the economy continues to weather this year’s higher taxes and some $85 billion in government spending cuts, known as the sequester.

Investors, anxiously trying to predict when the Fed will act, have boosted benchmark 10year Treasury note yields by 0.3 percentage point since the beginning of May, leading some to fret over an abrupt and exaggerated rise when the Fed finally decides to adjust the current third round of its quantitative easing program, dubbed QE3.

Plosser, who regains a vote on the Fed’s policy committee next year, said he was comfortable where things stood in the market, given the drop in unemployment and pick-up in economic growth since QE3 was launched in September.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have longer-term rates back up a bit,” he said. “That will help us down the road. It doesn’t cause me a lot of angst.”

In order to boost the slow and erratic recovery from recession, the Fed has said it will buy bonds until the labor market outlook improves substantially and keep interest rates low until the unemployment rate falls to 6.5 per cent or so.

U.S. unemployment stood at 7.6 percent in May, up from 7.5 per cent in April and high by historical standards. Inflation has also fallen well below the Fed’s 2 percent target, giving doves at the Fed more reason to keep policy ultra easy.

Last month, Bernanke said the central bank could at the “next few meetings” reduce stimulus if the economy looked set to gain momentum, unleash-

ing a selloff in stocks and bonds.

Plosser, a former economics professor who has headed the Fed’s Philadelphia branch since 2006, expressed some frustration that his colleagues do not appear ready to adjust policy at their next scheduled meeting on June 18 to 19. The Fed needs to maintain its credibility by demonstrating it is “willing and able to pull back a bit,” he said.

“I worry that the markets believe we don’t have the capability or willingness to do that,” he added. “We’re just digging a deeper hole.”

Yet asked by what amount he would like to see the asset purchases reduced, Plosser said there is no consensus among policymakers on that. “I don’t think any of us know what the right increment is here,” he said.

Ticking off his to-do list, he said policymakers must first decide to reduce purchases, then decide by how much, and finally select the type of bonds it will reduce, repeating that he would prefer first tapering mortgage-backed securities buying.

Others, including Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren, have said MBS are a more efficacious asset to hold.

Turning to the Fed’s longerterm plan for returning its balance sheet to a more normal size of around $1 trillion from $3.3 trillion now, Plosser said it was too early to adjust the socalled exit strategy at this month’s meeting.

Such a move would only confuse things because it remains unclear how many bonds the Fed will ultimately buy, he said.

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Published in association with

InvestmentWatch The Art of Investing INTRODUCTION NVESTING is an art and science that requires creativity, experience and good judgement on the art side and quantitative skills, precision on the science divide to achieve mastery of the process.

Investment means putting your money to work for you and it essentially involves saving for the future as well as meeting today’s income needs through strategic asset allocation, tactical changes in asset allocation to capturetemporaryimbalancesinmarkets,andsuccessful selection of particular investments in each category.

There are two main ways in which a person gains from an investment. The first is by capital gains, the difference between the purchase price and the sale price of an investment. The second is investment income, the moneypaidtotheholderoftheinvestmentbytheissuer of the investment. Depending on the type of investment, the source or mix of the total gain will differ. And in some cases, these different sources are taxed at different rates, so it is important to be aware of each.

What investment is not Investing is not gambling. Gambling (lack of analysis and lack of safety) is putting money at risk by betting on an uncertain outcome with the hope that you might win money. Part of the confusion between investing and gambling, however, may come from the way some people use investment vehicles by putting money into investment instruments with an expectation of gain without thorough analysis, without security of principal, and without security of return.

Speculation on the other hand occurs when investors ignore or fail to thoroughly consider analysis of business decision-making data in making their investment decisions. The mantra of "buy low and sell high", is not that simple! As anyone who has actually tried investing, knows that such simplistic approaches face an uphill, if not impossible, challenge.

Investment Vehicles There are many different ways you can go about making an investment. This includes putting money into stocks, bonds, mutual funds, alternative investments (which has a wide range of tangible and intangible products), or starting your own business.

Each of these investment vehicles has salient features, which we will discuss with respect to the Nigerian market.

• Cash Investment Cash investment such as bank bills and bank accounts are best suited for the funds you may need immediately, for your rainy days or emergency funds. In Nigeria, cash investment is considered as appropriate primary investment by many. From the local esusu collection, and informal contribution groups to formal organisations such as banks and microfinance banks, cash investment dominates Nigeria’s economic landscape.

As the saying goes, “cash is king” because of its ease of access and is considered the safest of investment classes. The problem with cash is that interest rates are close to zero and the spending power of your money will wither away with even a relatively low rate of inflation.

Features of cash investments: - There is no entry or exit fee.

- The money will be on call - Interest is credited daily, monthly or annually.

- For long tenor investment, interest is compounded • Shares or Equities (Stocks) Investment Shares represent a fraction of ownership in a business.

A business may declare different types (classes) of shares, each having distinctive ownership rules, privileges, or share values. Ownership of shares is documented by issuance of a stock certificate.

Stocks fall into two main categories made of equity shares and preferred shares. Equities generally offer a greater return on investment than other investment vehicles, but they are also the most volatile asset.

Shares are available to investors in the primary market

I

through private placements, public offers and secondary market. These transactions are brokered by stock broking firms who earn commission.

Features of Shares • Limited Liability Ordinary shareholders have limited liability. In other words, their liability is limited to those shares. They cannot be forced to pay anything out of their own money in the event of bankruptcy. They are fully protected against any financial obligations incurred by the organizations.

• Liquidation Rights If a company goes bankrupt and liquidates all its assets, the ordinary shareholders have the right to receive their share of sale proceeds. However, they are the last to receive money after the creditors, bondholders and preference shareholders are paid.

• Pre-emptive Rights If a company plans to issue new shares, existing shareholders have the rights to subscribe to new shares, often at lower prices, before they are issued to the public.

• Voting Rights Ordinary shareholders have the rights to vote in general meetings of the company. Each share carries the right to one vote. Shareholders can exercise control by electing the board members, who will oversee the major decisions and policies implemented by the management of the company. Preference shares are comparatively less risky for investors. Preference shareholders right to vote are usually contained in the Company’s Article of Association.

• Dividend Payments Ordinary shareholders are entitled to a share of the profits in the form of dividend. However, the amount of dividend payments is not based on a fixed percentage rate; it is recommended and decided by the board of directors. Preference Shareholders are entitled to a fixed rate of dividend and they will receive a fixed rate of dividend whether the company has made a huge profit or even a loss.

• Mutual Funds A Mutual fund is a professionally managed investment vehicle that is made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments and similar assets. The securities purchased are referred to as the fund's portfolio.

Mutual funds are operated by money managers, who investthefund'scapitalinordertoproducecapitalgains and income for the fund's investors. A mutual fund's portfolio is structured and maintained to match the investment objectives stated in its prospectus.

Nigerian asset and investment management companies are currently administering several mutual funds.

Types of Mutual Funds • Growth A growth fund invests primarily in the common stock of well established companies. This type of fund may invest for long-term capital gains and is not intended for an investor who seeks income.

• Balanced A balanced fund, as the name implies, invests for both growth and income. The fund will invest in both equity and debt securities. A balanced fund seeks to provide long-termgrowththroughitsequitycomponentaswell as income to be generated by the portfolio's debt securities.

• Money Market A money market fund seeks safety of principal by investing in high quality, short-term securities. This type of fund is designed with the aim that an investor's principal should not decrease in value. A money market fund seeks to provide a regular distribution of income which is determined by short-term interest rates.

Features of Mutual Funds • They give unskilled investors access to professionally managed, diversified portfolios of equities, bonds and

other securities.

• There are different time frames ranging from fixed/ close to open ended.

It gives an investor the choice to decide whether you should invest in a fund directly or through a broker –dealer.

• Each shareholder participates proportionally in the gain or loss of the fund.

• Mutual fund units, or shares, are issued and can typically be purchased or redeemed as needed at the fund's current net asset value (NAV) per share.

• Bonds Investment A bond is a debt security in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest (the coupon fixed intervals (semiannual, annual, sometimes monthly ) to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity. Bonds provide the borrower with external funds to finance long-term investments for corporate organizations, or, in the case of government bonds, to finance current expenditure.

Types of bonds • Corporate Bonds Are issued by public quoted companies to raise external funds to finance long-term investments, recent corporate bond issued include UBA & FLOURMILLS bonds issue.

• Government or Treasury bonds Are issued by the Federal and State Government in Nigeria to finance current expenditure.

• Sovereign bonds They are issued by national governments in foreign currencies. An example is the Nigerian Government 10-year sovereign bonds which sold 65 billion naira ($409.45 million) when it was auctioned in November 2011 by the Debt Management Office.

Features of bonds • Maturity date The date on which the issuer has to repay the nominal amount. The maturity can be any length of time, although debt securities with a term of less than one year are generally designated money market instruments rather than bonds.

• Coupon Is the interest rate that the issuer pays to the bond holders. Usually this rate is fixed throughout the life of the bond.

• There is an issue price, called the par (or the “face value”) • The biggest risk is that the borrower defaults i.e fails to pay back the principal.

• Alternative Investment Alternative investments refer to investment products other than the traditional investments in stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Most alternative investment assets are held by institutional investors or accredited, high-net-worth individuals because of their complex nature, limited regulations and relative lack of liquidity. Alternative investments include hedge funds, managed futures, real estate, commodities and derivatives contracts.

While the small investor may be shut out of some alternative investment opportunities, real estate and commodities such as precious metals are widely available.

Types of Alternative Investment • Real Estate Real estate is perhaps one of the oldest alternative investment options with substantial growth potential. Individuals and institutions with substantial funds can invest in commercial and rental properties in Nigeria and the worldwide market. Liquidation of investment in this asset class however takes time.

• Precious Metals Investing in precious metals like gold and silver can help you reap substantial benefits. In fact, investing in gold and silver is considered to be the best investment during recession as the prices of these metals have

been known to always increase with time. In fact, the price of gold is trending high currently.

• Private Equity Funds Private equity firms, high net worth individuals, large financial institutions and institutional investors come together to create private equity funds by pooling their combined wealth for a fixed amount of time in the form of a fund.

• Art & Antiques Averyspecializedalternativeinvestmentoptionisputting your money into art and antiques. World over, rare masterpieces of art including paintings and antiques are sold through auctions for a fortune. Some wealthyindividualsbuythemascollectorswhilesome businessesbuyandsellthemaspureinvestmentswith potential for growth in value. For high net worth individuals, investing in antiques and art is a viable investment option.

Features of Alternative Investment • Relative illiquidity, for which investors require a higher return.

• Improved diversification benefits compared to a portfolio consisting solely of stocks and bonds.

• High costs for due diligence because of complex investment structures, the need for specific expertise, and a lack of transparency with respect to performance communication.

• Difficulty in establishing appropriate benchmarks and thus in performance appraisal • Money Market Instruments Money market refers to a collection or group of financial institutions or exchange system set up for dealing in short-term credit instruments of high quality.

These short-term instruments involve a small risk due to loss, because they are issued by obligors of higher credit rating and they mature within one year. The money market is a short-term debt market.

Types of money market instruments • Treasury Bills The Treasury bills are the short-term money markets securities that mature in a year or less than that. The purchase price is less than the face value.

• Certificate of Deposit The certificates of deposit are basically time deposits that are issued by the commercial banks with maturity periods ranging from 3 months to five years. The return on the certificate of deposit is higher than the Treasury Bills because it assumes a higher level of risk.

• Commercial Paper Commercial paper refers to unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by financial and nonfinancial corporations. Transaction volume for commercial paper exceeds the amount of any money market instrument other than T-bills. It is typically issued by large, credit-worthy corporations with unused lines of bank credit and therefore carries low default risk.

Repurchase Agreement Repurchase agreements also known as repos or buybacks—are Treasury securities that are purchased from a dealer with the agreement that they will be sold back at a future date for a higher price. These agreements are the most liquid of all money market investments, ranging from 24 hours to several months.

Banker's Acceptance It is a short-term credit investment. It is a guarantee by a bank that payments will be made. The Banker Acceptances are traded in the Secondary market.

Features of money market instrument • Low default risk • Short term maturity • High marketability Successful investing is not about throwing money at any random investment. it requires taking investment education seriously and applying the careful analysis that can best be attended to by qualified and professional investment managers.

Kindly let us know if you have found this article useful. Please contact us at: enquiries@investment-one.com or visit our website at www.investment-one.com to download related articles.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

Insurance CIIN strengthens structure to boost professionalism

By Joshua Nse HE Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) will hold the investiture of the 45th President and chairman of Council of the institute.

Besides, the College of Insurance and Financial Management is almost completed for its movement to the permanent site in th .e next few months.

The 54 year old insurance education arm will record another milestone when Mr. Fatai Kayode Lawal will on Friday 14th June, 2013, become the 45th President of the institute when in the evening of that day, he will be vested with the mantle of leading the great body of

T

.. holds investiture of new president insurance professionals.

Lawal joined the governing council in 2001 and has been consistent ever since. Born on the 6th of October, 1960, he is a fellow of the institute.

The chairman, CIIN 2013 presidential investiture committee, Adeyemo Adejumo, who announced the preparations for the event in Lagos last week said, Mr. Akintola Williams, a chartered accountant, will be the chairman, special guests of honour are Abdulfatah Ahmed, Executive Governor of Kwara State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Executive Governor of Lagos State, and HRH, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Oba of Lagos.

He said, “the focus of the incoming president will begin from where the outgoing president has stopped, that is to improve on the level of education for the insurance industry in Nigeria, strengthen the examination system for measuring skills.

We have mapped out strategies where we can take this education not only within the industry, but all over the country to the higher institutions, secondary and primary schools, we want to educate and enlighten every Nigerians to know the benefits of insurance. This among others are going to be the principal focus for the indus-

try.”

However, the outgoing President, Wole Adetimehin, in his farewell address said, the lofty goals we set for ourselves on assumption of this Presidency on the 17th of June, 2011 have been substantially fulfilled. These were hinged on the theme: “Repositioning the insurance profession”, and included, strengthening the relevance of insurance profession in Nigeria, enhancing the quality of insurance education in Nigeria, recognition of excellence in insurance awareness and public enlightenment.

He said “The first significant step taken by the governing council in this direction was the constitution of a formi-

dable industry team which examined the issues related to the national budget and arrived at useful decisions which brought to the front burners the opportunities for economic growth and, in particular, the expectations from the insurance sector.

“This exercise was effectively carried out for the 2012 budget while in 2013, we subjected the exercise to a formidable forum of insurance practitioners facilitated by experts.

The platform was the 2013 business outlook seminar which compelled participants to take a closer look at the national budget as a useful instrument for business strategy.

He said, “we have also continually canvassed the need

for a genuine national consciousness on the efficacy of insurance especially with the spate of insecurity and the wanton destruction of lives and property as a result of growing insurgency as well as natural disasters such as floods and storms. As the industry’s educational arm, we have also initiated suitable and relevant training programmes aimed at equipping practitioners with the necessary tools for underwriting the emerging risk exposures such as kidnapping and terrorism. We are also gearing up at promoting the development of pool formations which can contain these catastrophic risks and guarantee greater confidence from the insuring public”.

Six states comply with contributory pension scheme states in the country StheIXhaveContributory fully complied with Pension

Managing Director, International Energy Insurance, (left) Mrs. Roseline Ekeng,(left); Chairman, Patrick Sule Ugboma, and Company Secretary, Paul Ekpenisi, company secretary, International Energy Insurance(IEI) Plc at the company’ 41st yearly general meeting held in Uyo, Akwai Ibom State at the weekend

IEI renegotiates Daewoo securities debt These were the excitement authorities and owners of panies in the next few years.

Energy ItheNTERNATIONAL Insurance (IEI) Plc is on of the company sharehold- the company, IEI had “Our strategies and processpart of profitability and ers who gathered in Uyo at crossed a major hurdle in es are being reviewed to stronger balance sheet and a promise of better returns on investment to shareholders.

Specifically, with the successful share reconstruction, renegotiation of Daewoo Securities (Europe) Limited, four-year old debt to preference equity capital and full provisioning of premium receivables, the underwriting firm has further positioned for a bigger share of the market particularly in energy insurance, oil and gas and other allied risks, will have the first right of rejection for most of Daewoo insurance businesses within and outside Nigeria.

the weekend to consider its 2011 financial report and accounts.

According to the shareholders including Godwin Anono, Dele Joseph, Olufemi Timothy among others, it was a big feat for the company to have successfully renegotiated the debt, which according to them, had been a major headache for about ten insurance companies that accessed the facility in 2008.

Mr. Patrick Sule Ugboma, chairman of the company said that with the conversation of Daewoo Securities debt to redeemable preference shares, having secured the approval of regulatory

its business strategy, and now well positioned to make good profit for the benefit of shareholders.

“With this development, Daewoo Securities is part owners of the company and its insurance business among other agreed benefits would be coming to IEI, and I can only assure shareholders that the future is bright.”

Ugboma noted, “the leadership of your company at the board and management level is committed to our strategic goal of not only repositioning the company and turning to profitability, but to also be amongst the top leading insurance com-

remove bureaucratic bottlenecks that impair on efficient service delivery and position to underwrite big ticket transactions. Our ICT infrastructure is also being upgraded for robust and optimal performance to give your company competitive age.”

Ugboma further stated that IEI was working on increasing its financial and technical capacities to position effectively for the newly introduced risk based supervision introduced by the regulatory authority, and this no doubt will stand us out a proactive organisation and give us mileage in our niche area.

Scheme (CPS) according to the Pension Reform Act 2004, while six other states have their own pension arrangements in place for their employees.

However, 24 states in the country are yet to have any form of pension arrangements for their workers. The National Pension Commission (PenCom) and Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PENOP), worried by this trend, have devised measures to enlighten these states to key into the scheme.

The President of PENOP, Dave Uduanu, said during the yearly general meeting of the association in Lagos that the officials of the commission have begun to go round the states to educate officials of the affected states on the need for them to key into the contributory scheme for the benefit of its workers.

Besides, he said, the review of the Pension Reform Act 2004 that is currently going on in the National Assembly will strengthen the act to bring the informal sectors of the economy into the contributory scheme.

According to him, although the pension system as we have it was still largely geared towards ensuring peaceful retirement for people in the formal sector of the economy, but the regulators have realised that the informal sector was by far larger than the formal sector, hence the need to bring the retirement savings account to the sector.

According to him, the new pension system was built on accountability and transparency, quite unlike the old defined benefit scheme,

where hear of disappearance of pension, long queues of elderly people waiting for pension payment, but under the CDPS, the clients had access to their retirement savings accounts (RSA) and they could also monitor the contributions and growth of their pensions over the period of their active years of service.

Dr. Demola Sogunle, a member of the association and chief executive officer, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, said that the operation of the contributory pension scheme in the country was one of the beautiful things that has happened in the country, as over N3.4 trillion pension assets has been accumulated, and 5.3 million contributors captured in the CPS. According to him, over 54 million working Nigerians were still not captured in the pension reform. According to him, the commission and association has very robust working relations to help enlighten Nigerians on the need to capture all workers in the system.

He said: “We need to extend the benefits of the new scheme to many Nigerians and a coverage ratio of about 25 per cent will translate to touching the lives of about 18 million Nigerians. The impact of this on the economy, on the one hand, and the social well being of average Nigerian on the other are enormous.

“Our pensions business is not relenting in getting the messages of the CSP out there. We will continue in our drive to register customers even in the formal sector who are yet to come under the CPS. We believe that continued awareness of the CPS will also go along way in getting more people to the join the system.”

INSURANCE

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Lawyers partner insurers, pension operators on development HE Nigerian Bar T Association, Section of Business Law, has announced it decision to partner with insurance and pension operators on how they can jointly boost their contributions to the nation’s economy.

In a statement from the NBA\SBL committee on insurance and pensions, the group said it would work closely with the operators during its seventh yearly conference, which will hold in Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos from 17th to 19th June, 2013.

The committee noted that the conference is very important to insurance and pensions, because this is

the first time there will be a breakout session on insurance in the NBA/SBL annual conference.

The lawyers added that during the breakout session the regulatory authorities of both insurance and pension industries; the National Insurance Commission and the National Pension Commission, together with other legal and pension and insurance experts would share perspectives on the role of insurance and pensions in an emerging economy.

While stressing the role of insurance and pension to the development of the Nigerian economy, the

committee stressed the need for more partnership between the lawyers and the operators for the benefits of all stakeholders.

The Council of Nigerian Bar Association’ Section of Business Law under the Chairmanship of Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, established the Insurance Committee of the section of Business Law in December 2012.

The council appointed a former Managing Director, Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Mr. Dominic Ichaba as the committee’s chairman.

Ichaba, who has vast experience in insurance and pensions is currently a partner with PAC Solicitors.

The insurance and pensions industries have a close connection worldwide.

Prior to the Pensions Reform Act 2004, issues relating to pensions in Nigeria were derived and managed from insurance point of view and they are still closely linked.

Insurance and pension related matters are present in every facet of Nigeria’s commercial, industrial and private lives.

Lawyers and other practitioners in many different fields encounter insurance and pension issues.

Lawyers and other professionals alike can, therefore, benefit from this Committee either through

direct membership of the Committee (open only to lawyers) and/or vide the committee’s enlightenment and advocacy programmes as the time goes on.

The specific objectives of this Committee are quite similar to the overall objectives of the SBL. The primary objectives of the committee are to advocate for and promote the delivery of qualitative service to the public by the practitioners of insurance and pension businesses in Nigeria.

It aims to promote and provide Continuing Legal Education (CLE) to mem-

bers of the Committee and other interested stakeholders toward deepening the knowledge base of insurance and pension businesses in Nigeria.

It also aims to collaborate and partner with relevant stakeholders (NAICOM, PENCOM, NHIS, NIA, CIIN, NCRIB, PENOP, Insurance companies, PFAs, PFCs) and assist and organise enlightenment programmes for the Committee’s members, legislative bodies and parastatals towards ensuring effective legal and regulatory framework, best practice in service delivery and greater penetration of insurance and pension businesses in Nigeria.

NGO unveils plans to deepen penetration RANSPARENT Protection Tit organisation, Limited/Gte, a not-for-profhas unveiled plans to deepen insurance penetration in the country through innovative approach in insurance education and efficient service delivery to all stakeholders, particularly the un-insured in the grassroots.

To actualise the laudable dreams, the promoters of the first-ever NGO to register its presence in the nation’s insurance sector, have announced 18th June 2013 as date of the historic launching of the entity in Abuja.

Disclosing this in a prelaunch statement issued on the planned take-off of the organisation after a roundtable organised for the media and select civil society groups, the Programme Manager of TPL, Godson Ibekwe-Umelo, said that TPL was a rights - based not-forprofit organisation registered under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

According to him, TPL was coming to steer revolution in insurance sector in Nigeria which to date has remained relatively underdeveloped despite huge potential.

Ibekwe-Umelo lamented the low contributions of the Insurance industry’s by the ratio to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which remained at less than one per

cent while the industry is ranked 87th in the world in terms of penetration and said one of the main goals of the new organisation was reversing the ugly development.

“TPL is poised to help reverse this unfortunate trend by proactively mobilising citizens, especially at the grassroots to take up insurance protection. Also, TPL will facilitate a platform for guaranteeing settlement of all genuine claims,” he assured.

He disclosed further that with a huge population of between 150 and 160 million people, the insurance sector in Nigeria has potential to become the biggest insurance market in Africa and among the largest in the world.

In addition, he pointed out that TPL would hinge its operations which are intended to impact positively on insurance penetration drives on four thematic thrusts; namely, advocacy, education, mobilisation and transparency and governance.

The TPL chief stated that towards realising this goal, TPL has established a robust platform for mobilising the insuring public at the grassroots for mass patronage of insurance products and ensuring timely settlement of all genuine claims.

A.M. Best affirms Iron Horse rating .M. Best Co. has affirmed A the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a+” of Iron Horse Insurance Company (Iron Horse) (Burlington, VT).

The outlook for both ratings is stable.

The ratings reflect Iron Horse’s adequate risk-adjusted capitalization, explicit parental support, experienced management team and the role it plays as a direct captive subsidiary of Chevron Corporation (Chevron).

These positive rating factors are partially offset by Iron Horse’s high net loss exposures, as the coverage provided tend to result in claims that are characterised as low frequency but high severity. This is somewhat mitigated by the captive’s ability to secure capital from Chevron in the event of a covered shock loss. Iron Horse directly benefits from the attention of Chevron’s experienced risk manage-

ment team. Iron Horse also gains from Chevron’s global operations, which provide favorable geographic spread of risk and line of business diversification.

In its role as a captive insurer, Iron Horse, along with Heddington Insurance Limited, currently provides broad and competitive global insurance products for Chevron and its subsidiaries.

The insurance needs of Chevron are supplied through these captive operations (where appropriate) and the commercial market.

Iron Horse and the other Chevron captives provide comprehensive coverage above Chevron’s internal retentions, while Iron Horse’s reinsurance is placed through a corporate wide plan with the world’s leading providers of capacity, resulting in a diversified and balanced distribution of reinsurers.

Senior President of Alternative Risk Solutions Practice, Willis, Canada, Mr. William Chan (left); President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Mr. Laide Osijo and Mr. Joe Beesack, senior vice president of Willis Canada, during the 2013 International Business Visit of NCRIB members to Canada…recently.

RIMSON trains stakeholders in risk engineering projects ARGE engineering facili- ers, officials of government Mr. Cyprian N. Emenyonu, guard the investments. The Lfronted ties and projects are con- parastatals, etc, as the proac- said the course would pro- main topic of the course he with several manmade, operational and natural risks such as collapse, fire, flood, abandonment, cost overrun, delayed completion.

In terms of property damage, loss of lives, business interruption and non-realisation of project goals and objectives, the attendant losses are enormous.

The effects on the stakeholders are devastating.

Unless the man-made causes are identified and analysed, effective control measures will not be applied.

The recurrent incidents have become worrisome to risk managers and state governments. While the State governments are enacting legislations and regulations to curb the problem of building collapse. For example, risk managers are to train and retrain the personnel engaged in the construction/engineering industry, that is, engineers, builders, contractors, safety managers, construction officers, risk managers and analysts, oil and gas workers, compliance/quality control managers, insurance practition-

tive measures to effectively manage the inherent risks in engineering facilities and projects To this end, the Risk and Insurance Managers Society of Nigeria (RIMSON) is organising a two-day course on risk management at NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

The Registrar of RIMSON,

vide the platform for the industry experts and professionals to brainstorm on the importance of risk management in the construction and operation of engineering facilities and projects.

Such risk exposures will be identified with a view to proffering appropriate risk control measures to safe-

said, is broken into sub-topics to be facilitated by highly experienced engineering and certified risk management experts like Engr.

Jacob Adeosun of Industrial Risks Protection Consultants, Rev. Engr. Mike Udonquak, Managing Director, Global Risk Consulting.

MetLife limits offshore reinsurance after review ETLIFE Inc. (MET) said that M it would combine an offshore reinsurer with three U.S. life units after regulators began an investigation into the use of intra-company liability transfers, saying such arrangements could mask risk.

MetLife, the largest U.S. life insurer, plans to merge subsidiaries in Connecticut, Delaware and Missouri with its offshore reinsurer for variable annuities, known as Exeter Reassurance, according to a slide presentation for the company’s investor meeting today.

The combination requires reg-

ulatory approval and will probably be completed in 2014, MetLife said.

The merger “proactively addresses recent regulatory concerns about the use of captive reinsurers,” New Yorkbased MetLife said in the presentation. It could also help the company be in a “better position to deal with Dodd-Frank derivative collateral requirements.”

New York State’s Department of Financial Services, led by Benjamin Lawsky, began an investigation into captive insurers in July, requesting information about the

arrangements from about 80 life insurers in the state, including MetLife. The entities can threaten financial stability and reduce the amount of reserves insurers hold to pay future claims, Lawsky said in a speech last month.

“This financial alchemy, let’s call it shadow insurance, does not actually transfer the risk for those insurance policies off the parent company’s books, because in many instances, the parent company is ultimately still on the hook,” Lawsky said “Shadow insurance could leave insurance companies less able to deal with losses.”

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

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Stockwatch In association with Lead Capital

Stock Market Report for the week Friday, 31st May to Thursday 6th June, 2013 N the week, the total vol- ANNOUNCEMENT AJOR equity markets around the I66.01% ume appreciated by M globe moved downwards as URING the period under review, fifty one and value traded their various indexes lost marginal D (51) stocks recorded price appreciation appreciated by 61.50%. A points. In our universe of sample compared to forty (40) that depreciated in the equity markets; the NASDAQ, S & P 500 and Dow Jones lost points by 1.90%, 2.39% and 2.24% respectively at the end of last week. In Europe, The German Dax, FTSE 100 and France CAC 40 all lost points by 1.68%, 3.14% and 3.06% respectively. In the Asia/Pacific region, Nikkei 225, Hangseng and BSE Sensex lost points by 5.04%, 2.87% and 3.44% respectively. In Brazil, the Bovespa lost point by 3.36% while Russia’s RTS INDEX lost points by 4.34%. On the local setting, NSE ASI closed at 39,510.11 recording a 3.93% appreciation at the end of the week’s trading.

turnover of 2.54 billion units of shares valued at N23.32 billion was recorded, in contrast to a turnover of 1.53 billion units of shares worth N14.44 billion that was recorded in the previous week.

Volume this week was driven by activities in the shares of UNITYBANK, ZENITHBANK, SKYEBANK, TRANSCORP, ACCESS, UBA, FBNH, GUARANTY, FIDELITYBK and ETI.

previous week, LIVESTOCK was first on the top gainers chart to close with 47.54%, followed by MAYBAKER with 45.77%, UBN with 41.17%, IKEJAHOTEL with 30.38%, NEIMETH with 22.58% and CAP with 21.00%. Other gainers in the top ten categories were ROYALEX with 18.52%, FIDSON with 17.14%, BERGER with 14.67% and DANGCEM with 11.19%.

On the flip side, twenty nine (29) stocks depreciated in price last week compared to thirty (30) that depreciated a week ago. UTC led on the price losers’ table with 13.25%, followed by JOHNHOLT by 10.00%, LEARNAFRCA by 10.00%, IPWA by 9.72%, MCNICHOLS by 9.71%, UPL by 8.01%, COSTAIN by 6.92%, MOBIL by 6.78%, GUARANTY by 5.64% and AIRSERVICE by 4.04%.

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THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

STOCKWATCH

Lead Capital Stock Valuation

COMPANY’S RESULT

CONTINUE ON PAGE 51

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

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Homes & Property 5,000 new homes coming in Umuahia Trademore Page 33 estate

ESVARBON approves use of pseudonym, warns against misuse of Page 35 seals

One of the properties to be refurbished by the Nigerian Railway Corporation

Railway Corporation to throw up valuation jobs for estate surveyors Projects

By Tosin Fodeke ET to add value to its landSthroughout ed properties scattered the federation,

We signed performance bond with govt, FHA boss Page 43

the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), may have decided to undertake a new valuation, and now seeking to engage reputable estate surveying firms to anchor the exercise.

The likely valuation job became necessary following discovery of underutilization and some cases total abandonment of the corporation’s vast landed property and the situation has led to multi encroachment by sev-

With landed properties of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) across the Federation, being in a dilapidated state, authorities at the helm of affairs have begun fresh moves to refurbish old structures eral individuals and groups.

The move is coming on the heels of the Federal Government‘s lifting of a ban on abandoned railway properties. The deplorable situation of properties in the corporation has for long persisted due to long lease to individuals without proper monitoring as well as the long period of inactivity of the NRC. Managing Director, NRC Mr. Seyi Sijuwade, recently made the announcement that a search for estate valuers and

developers to revamp NRC’s ailing structures has begun.

According to Sijuwade, since the Federal Government has lifted the ban on the corporation’s properties, there was need to inject new life into them, which we intend to do by converting abandoned landed properties to multi level parking spaces, build hotels and parks among other things.

Public Relations Officer of the NRC, Mr. David Ndakotsu in a chat with The Guardian also stated that the move,

which also involves the property arm of the corporation, is at the preliminary stage just as the corporation would later advertise expression of interest for determined properties.

Railway Property Company Limited (RPCL) manages NRC non-operational properties and was created in 1995.

It would be recalled that back in 2006 the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the collapse last week in Lagos of

one of the corporation’s warehouses that had been converted into a two-storey building, claiming eight lives and leaving about 36 people injured.

The incident occurred at the corporation’s Lagos headquarters’ premises located at Iddo, in the Lagos Mainland axis at Ebute-Metta Local Government Area.

It was alleged that the property, which gave way following a heavy rain on penultimate Sunday morning, was originally meant to be a warehouse, which was turned into a residential piece without improving on the structure.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

Lagos shops for advisor in Ikorodu regional market project Projects

By Tunde Alao NDICATIONS have emerged that the proposed development of Ikorodu Regional Market may soon take off, as the Lagos State Government has commenced a search for an investment advisor for the project.

The current search is coming almost six years the idea to develop the new market was mooted. Under the plan, the Mile 12, Food Stuff Market will be relocated to Ikorodu area of the state.

The relocation plan that formed the urban redevelopment programme of Lagos was predicated upon the imperatives of the megacity status of the city.

I

Ikorodu town recently

It has become imperative that the design of the Ikorodu Regional Market has to put into consideration with the new development along the axis, especially, the expansion of the existing road linking Ikorodu to Ketu, including development along the Ishagamu-Agbowa-Epe road, the communities that share boundaries with the project site.

The state’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Toyin Ayinde told The Guardian that the project is long overdue. He said government is seeking for a reliable consultant – investment advisor, that would ensure a hitchfree execution and sustainability of the project.

As defined by the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, any person or group that makes investment recommendations or

conducts securities analysis in return for a fee, whether through direct management of client assets or via written publications.

The concern for such expert, according to officials, has to do with the ongoing reconstruction of Ikorodu-Ketu expressway, with specific design that is to incorporate special route for

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Group flays FG over abandoned Bodo-Bonny road Roads From Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt ARELY a year after the Federal Government reassured that work would resume at the abandoned Bodo-Bonny road in Rivers State, there seems to be no hope in sight for the Ogoni communities. The contract was awarded about 11 years ago.

Minister of State for Works, Bashir Yuguda, had on September 2012 inspected the road project and blamed the delay in its delivery to under-funding, community disagreements and poor performance of the contractor handling the work.

Yaguda however assured that his visit to the site would facilitate the completion of the project soonest as he noted that the Federal Government was determined and dedicated to delivering the project.

His words: “Mr. President attaches serious importance to this project due to its relevance to the Nigeria economy, Bonny Island is the hub of oil and gas in the country; the NLNG is there, several oil exploration is taking place there, so the government value the project greatly”.

But an Ogoni group under the aegis of National Association of Ogoni Media Workers (NAOMEW), said it was disheartening that the only project that indicated the Federal Government presence in Ogoni land, had been abandoned for eleven years as successive governments had come and gone leaving the project in a pitiable state.

They pointed out that project

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Bodo bridge recently

The Ogoni group has rekindled their agitation for the completion of the road, awarded 11 years ago. The body says that a redesign and early completion of the project would improve the people’s living standard, as their business activities would be enhanced. is the only link road to Bonny Island, which plays host to several multi -national oil industries including the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and would boost the economy of the Ogonis, the Niger Deltans and Nigeria at large if completed.

The group spoke during a courtesy visit to the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly Leyii Kwane, member representing Khana Constituency II

in Ogoni.

President of the Group, Mr. Joe Visanga observed that the design of the road sharply divided Bodo city into two but he reasoned that a redesign and early completion of the project would improve the people’s living standard, as their business activities would be enhanced.

According to him, “ I wish to observe that the only project that can indicate the Federal Government presence in

Ogoni is the Bodo-Bonny road.

Several years after the contract was awarded, successive administrations have come and gone and the road had been abandoned”.

He therefore called on the Deputy Speaker to use his privileged position to appeal for the increase of Federal presence in Ogoniland especially the completion of the BodoBony road.

Responding, Kwanee noted that the project has been in the exclusive list of

government, as it remains a very important project in the region, stressing that it was obvious that the project would boost economic activities when completed.

He promised to meet with other legislators in Ogoni to discuss how best to push for the completion of the project and as well, attract more of the Federal presence in Ogoni land. He assured the group of a positive outcome on their request.

Meanwhile, the Chairman Bodo Council of Chiefs and Elders, Mene Sylvester Kubara who is miffed about the eleven years abandoned project, said it would have been better that their farm lands were left for

them than to acquire it for the road project and abandoned it. He lamented that the uncompleted project has turned to houses for hoodlums.

According to him, “The community welcomed the project because we see it as something that will bring development.

The Niger Delta is the heart of Nigeria economy .At the moment Bonny is the hub of oil and gas industries in the country, virtually all the oil companies are there, so the delivery of this road will boost economic activities and create employment.” “ But it is disheartening that the road was abandoned after the contract was awarded and our farm lands taken, the minister has come, our appeal is that the minister should ensure that the promise to commence work at the project immediately is kept because we are tired of too much promises; let it not be one of those usual visit but let it be that he has come ,seen what is on ground , will ensure funds are provided to fast-track the delivery of the project” Kubara said.

The 36-kilometer road is expected to accommodate about eleven bridges but presently only the first phase of the bridge is completed. The firm handling the project, Gitto Construction Limited, Prof. Jason Ossai, noted that their major handicap is insufficient funding.

Ossai said, the N1.5billion released annually for the project was very inadequate, and demanded for improved budgetary allocation to enable the company complete the road project soon.

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Prime Estates 5,000 new homes coming in Umuahia Trademore estate Housing

By Chinedum Uwaegbulam EDIUM-income –bracket subscribers will have a pride of place under an ambitious public- private partnership housing project - Trademore Housing Estate – that was flagged-off last week at Ngwu/Ubani Community, Uzoakoli Road, Umuahia, Abia State.

A mixed –level of ‘cocktail’ of some 5, 000 units is to be built under the 250 hectares of land scheme, the pilot phase containing 1,000 housing units to be completed within the first 24 months while the second and third phases will follow subsequently.

Under the project, Trademore International Holdings Limited is partnering with Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and targeting civil servants in Abia State as well as other contributors of the National Housing Fund (NHF).

Chairman, Trademore Int’l Holdings Limited, Emmanuel Mbaka, an engineer, said that the idea of a housing project was conceived to ease the housing problems of the civil servants and self-employed people of Abia state and also to bring housing and infrastructural development to the communities.

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Trademore housing estate, Abuja, recently He assured Abia State delivered in record time.

Governor, Chief Theodore “We also want to assure Orji Governor people of civil servants, and selfNgwu/ Ubani that “the employed individuals in required resources in terms Abia state of stress-free on manpower and technolo- mortgage procedures in gy are very much on ground buying the houses as our and the necessary machin- strategic partners- Platinum ery have been set in motion Mortgage Bank Limited, and to ensure this project is

the Federal mortgage Bank of Nigeria are on ground in Abia state and have assured us of speedy processing of NHF loans for individuals willing to buy into the estate.

“We look forward to your continued support and hospitality in the years to come

and we also promise to contribute our quota in terms of providing employment, and in other areas of corporate social responsibility to ensure the further development and advancement of the communities.”

FMBN managing director, Mr. Gimba Ya’u Kumo, said

the issue of providing decent and affordable housing for Nigerians is not the sole responsibility of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. “We cannot tackle it alone. We must involve everybody. So, we need everybody’s cooperation in this respect.”

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ESVARBON approves use of pseudonym, warns against misuse of seals Professional Practice

By Chinedum Uwaegbulam HE Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) has approved the use of pseudonym in business registration for persons who desire to practice estate surveying and valuation in the country.

The development, which has been part of the agitation by members, will exist side by side with the use of family name. The stride is to encourage mega practice of the profession to meet international best practices, as it is currently practices in allied professions such as law and accountancy.

ESVARBON chairman, Mr. Ayodele Sangosanya disclosed that the board has formulated and forwarded guidelines to guide the formation of mega firms with pseudonyms to the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban development for gazetting.

He warned new entrants against the unhealthy practice of using their stamps, seals and certificates unprofessionally and for the purpose of authenticating valuation jobs.

The body threatened to withdraw such items and warned that those caught will be made to face the music. “If we catch anybody doing something like that, the seals will be withdrawn.

The stamps, seals and certificates to be awarded are properties of the board and the board reserves the right to withdraw these items at any time, if abused,”

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Past president, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr. William Odudu, Registrar, Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON), Mr. Thomas Audu, past chairman, ESVARBON, Ladipo Eso, ESVARBON Chairman, Gbadebo Sangosanya, past chairman, Olatunde Adegbemile and NIESV past president, Yinka Sonaike at the induction of newly registered estate surveyors and valuers, last week

With 107 new members have joining the estate and surveying profession, their senior colleagues have urged them to be upright in rendering services and active in the activities of the institution. The board has also approved the use of pseudonym by members Sangosanya said. He added that the rules and regulations of the board should be the guide of any estate surveyor and valuer and their violation will not be tolerated.

Sangosanya, who addressed the 107 newly registered members at the 32nd

induction ceremony of the board in Lagos, restated that the body was set up by Decree 24 of 1975 for the registration and regulation of the practice in the country.

With the induction, about 3,119 estate surveyors and valuers are now registered in Nigeria.

ESVARBON also lamented that the challenge being faced is how to accelerate the registration of new entrants to meet the rapidly growing population in the country. “This figure is still a far cry from adequacy when compared to the national population of over 160 mil-

Ebonyi gets N300m equipment, to de-emphasize contracts awards Roads From Leo Sobechi Abakaliki OTHERED by lackadaisical attitude of some contractors and delays in completion of its roads and infrastructure projects, Ebonyi State Government has procured equipment for its Ministry of Works and Transport to handle certain caliber of projects instead of contracting them out.

Disclosing this in his office, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Chukwuma Nwandugo, an engineer said the government believes that with enough equipment, government can handle some of the projects instead of letting it on contract. He said that the sum of N300 million have been expended on the first phase of the pro-

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gramme to procure low bed, Mark truck and caterpillar.

On the immediate use to which the equipment would be put, the Works Commissioner added: “We procured these equipment mainly for our dams. We are trying to build dams in all the three rice mills locations because each of the rice mills is gigantic, with five tonnes per hour capacity machines. So they need so much water and that much quantity of water we cannot guarantee from ordinary sources, bore holes and piping from where ever”.

On how the Ministry plans to solve the challenge of sourcing personnel to operate the machines, Nwandugo said: “It will not be business as usual; the people to operate them would be well trained and well monitored by this office

together with the office of the governor. That is the agreement. The governor is going to be part of the management of the office; so the equipment will actually deliver to our expectations because if we leave them in the hands of the wrong people, less than six months the equipment would be gone,” he declared.

The Commissioner said Mantrac Caterpillars has agreed to “help us train those that would handle the equipment and guard jealously the movement of the equipment from one point to another”. He disclosed that the Ministry decided to cancel certain contracts because the contractors were not doing well adding that the affected contractors have been contacted to reimburse the state government.

Throwing more light on the revoked contracts, Nwnadugo said they include, Effium –Ezzamgbo road; Ugbonha; OdomowoAgbaenyim road; Army boundary road between Ochoudo city and Army Barracks covering about 5.2 kilometres and Nwankwo alike-Nkwuda road market that was supposed to be done by Breco.

He observed that most of the contracts were awarded to indigenous companies in a bid to encourage local contractors. “There is no need giving contracts to outsiders that would take the money to go and develop their place. At the same time there is no need giving contracts to local contractors that will spoil the name of the government, spoil the road and the contract and use the money,” he said.

RIBA announces Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship winner Architecture HE 2013 RIBA Norman T Foster Travelling Scholarship has been awarded to Sigita Burbulyte of Bath School of Architecture for her proposal, ‘Charles Booth Going Abroad’. She will be granted £6,000 to develop her research study, which takes the poverty maps of Victorian social reformer Charles Booth as the starting point for an exploration of slum communities across four continents.

The jury was chaired by Lord

Foster and included Roz Barr, RIBA Vice-President Elect Education, architecture critic Ellis Woodman, architect Zohra Chiheb and Spencer de Grey, Stefan Behling and Narinder Sagoo of Foster + Partners. Applications were received from 40 universities in 13 countries.

The jury also highly commended ‘Room for Improvement’ by Tom Haworth of the University of Cambridge – a critical analysis of global approaches to flood protection and land reclamation, with implica-

tions for the Cambridge area.

Lord Foster said: “Once again, the jury was impressed by the quality of all the entries. However, we were unanimous in choosing Sigita Burbulyte’s highly original approach to urban analysis, which learns from the past and recognises the importance of infrastructure, in physically shaping a community. Perhaps most interestingly, the mapping of the relationship between slum areas and their wider urban context is a move toward defining and transforming

these informal settlements.

She has set herself an ambitious task, which I expect will absorb her in years to come.”

RIBA President Angela Brady said: “The RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship continues to set the bar high with innovative and impressive winning projects. Our 2013 winner, Sigita Burbulyte excels in this with her project ‘Charles Booth Going Abroad‘, which will set her off on a journey around the world visiting modern cities.”

lion, the present management of the board continues to find ways and means of producing many more registered estate surveyors and valuers as quickly as possible without lowering standards.”

Sangosanya added: “The focus of the board is to substantially reduce the nefarious activities of quacks by registering many more qualified estate surveyors and valuers in the country.

The board has instituted actions in courts against

quacks who would not heed its warnings.”

Mr. Yinka Sonaike, a past President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) who chaired the occasion, urged the inductees to abide with the principles and ethics of the profession. He charged them to defend the profession and the institution, to render honest services to their clients and customers and to be professionally driven.

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Enugu launches electronic property registry Housing From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu OVED to eradicate fraudulent or multiple property registration, Enugu Government has commenced it’s Virtual Streets (EVS), aimed at creating a database management system for property located within the state.

The system is expected to eliminate touting in the land tenure system by the licensing of bona fide property brokers or licensed practitioners through the restriction of access to sensitive data, as well as create a statewide transparent electronic property registry.

The commissioner for Lands, Survey, and Urban Development, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ujam, who disclosed this during a press

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briefing on the project, added that it would block leakages on income that ought to accrue to the state government on land transactions.

According to him, the project would help residents of the state as well as visitors to monitor assets and access specific information, stressing that it would also help in stamping out touting in land deals.

He said: “To put it in perspective, if the people of xyz in Nsukka areas suddenly have no water and they are looking for the nearest boreholes, instead of walking around or sending children who should be going to school to be checking different areas, all they need do will be to send a text from their phone to the EVS system and it will reply with the closest boreholes in the area.

“Another typical example

will be if a stranger traveling through Enugu required the use of a bank-specific or typespecific ATM cash machine, the system would allow such a person to query it to locate such services, just as they would be able to a nearby hospital in an emergency”. “A very critical element of this system is the ability to track and monitor assets, invariably you will be able to view some key properties via the system just as if you were watching via CCTV. This will definitely also help in improving security in the state”, he added.

The commissioner equally disclosed that a reputable transaction management company, Benjamin Knight Associates, had been engaged to formulate a workable system that would make the project a success.

He outlined the specific fea-

Borno proposes 2,500 housing units Projects From Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri OWARDS tackling the housing challenge bedeviling its citizens, the Borno state government has announced plans to build additional 2, 500 housing units in the metropolis.

The new housing projects are being sited on Bama, Damboa and Magumeri/Gubio roads and Pompomari By-pass, covering a total of 600 hectares.

The beneficiaries are expected to be residents and teachers that were not accommodated by the allocation and verification committee in the

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first phase of the scheme, totaling 2, 700 houses.

The state’s commissioner of Housing and Rural Electrification, Alhaji Sugun Mai Mele made the disclosure at press conference to mark Democracy Day; and second year in office of Governor Kashim in Maiduguri. He said the housing projects will be carried out through “direct labour” and in partnership with Poverty Alleviation and Youths Empowerment ministry that will provide the manpower.

Already, the state government has built and allocated a total of 2, 711 houses on Owner Occupier Housing Scheme

(OOHS) at N303, 700, 202, and 1, 000 Housing Estates in Maiduguri metropolis.”

On houses for teachers, he said that 300 units are being constructed at the Monguno Teachers Village (MOTEV), Pompomari By-pass road, adding that the houses have reached 65 per cent completion stage and would be ready for occupation before the end of this year.

In a breakdown of the houses to their respective sites, he said on the Gubio/Magumeri road, 1,000 houses are to be built, while on Damboa road, an additional 1,000 housing units are to complete for occupancy.

tures of the system upgrade to include- Enugu Township Street view with some in three dimensions, Enugu A-Z, similar to London A-Z, point of interest locations searches,

land ownership registry, direction search, among others. Ujam said on assumption of office two years ago, he observed that the Ministry required an upgrade and

expansion of its work flows adding that processes for a more effective and faster delivery of services, so as to meet up with internationally obtainable standards.

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NITP seeks role in planning policy implementation Physical Planning From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia the overall benefit of FtheOR all stakeholders in both private and public sector and to attain best human settlement standards, professional town planners must be involved in the process of implementing all planning policies, president, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Chief Steve Onu has said.

He made the remark last

The repeated failure of government at all levels to involve professional town planners in the implementation of planning policies has continuously led to sub-standard settlements, which is inimical to urban development week in Abia State at the NITP state chapter’s luncheon, a forum organised to review the profession and proffer ways to ensure even development.

According to Onu, the growing incidences of building collapses was due to non involvement of professionals both at planning, designing, execution and

supervision stages. He accused the governments of not abiding by global best practices.

Lamenting the planners’ readiness to correct the anomaly affecting the planning sector, Onu, said their willingness would amount to nothing when issues of planning are being politicized. “We prepare the

RELAN conference holds in Lagos Professional Practice HE Real Estate Lawyers T Association of Nigeria (RELAN), an umbrella body of lawyers providing a strong united voice for Nigerian real estate industry will hold their national conference on June 20, 2013 at 10am, at the Metropolitan Club, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The theme for the event will be Foreclosure Law and Processes in relation to Mortgage Security in Nigeria. Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (Unilag), Prof.

Imran Oluwole Smith will deliver the key note address looking primarily at the legal position with the someone else looking at the topic from a lender’s perspective.

According to the association, the conference will provide a great opportunity to rub minds and network with major players in the real estate industry.

The guest of honours is Attorney General of the

Estate surveyors to revalue NRC’s assets CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 Similarly former Minister of Transport, Alhaji Ibrahim Isa Bio who bemoaned the encroachment of individuals and organizations on railway properties across the federation during his tenure, was quoted as saying: “It is quite alarming to state that as at today, the landed properties of the NRC across the Federation, are being encroached upon. Structures such as residential houses, shops, kiosks, hotels, workshops, markets, churches, mosques and even tank farms to mention but a few, have been built illegally on Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) properties. The incidence of the encroachment has been fuelled by the seeming abandonment of these properties by the Corporation.

In addition, long lease to individuals without proper monitoring has contributed in no small measure to the conversion of such properties into private use.

Furthermore, the long period of inactivity of the NRC and the inability of government to revive rail transportation has exacerbated the situa-

Federation and Minster of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke and Deputy Governor of Delta State, Prof. Amos Utuama. Former Chief Justice of the

Federation, Justice Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore, will be the chairman of the event while sessions’ chairmen include Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike.

plans but politicians would not involve us in the implementation”.

Besides, the president also tasked his colleagues to continue to educate the public on the need to seek professional advice and counsel before embarking on their land and property development stressing that while not every land is developable, buildings should not be erected on pipelines and close to high tensions as doing so, would become hazardous to the inhabitants.

State’s NITP Chairman, Mr. Lekwa Ezutah, who said that the NITP serves and provides the fora to exchange ideas on problems and matters

relating to land use, added that, the institute aims at attaining sustainable human settlements.

Permanent Secretary, Abia State Ministry of Physical And Urban Planning, Mr. Chimdi Oluoha, described the meeting as timely and worthwhile remarking that many were yet to know and appreciate the role of town planners. He urged the professionals to do more public education and creation of awareness.

Former state deputy governor, Chief Acho Nwakanma, who chaired the luncheon, described adequate planning as the panacea for longevity adding that, good environment is necessary for healthy living and evidence of good governance.

Guest Lecturer and President, Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), Olutoyin Ayinde, who spoke

on ‘ Pre-organize For Good and Not Organize and Then Agonize Thereafter’, said, “it remains difficult to plan under a bad government.

No matter what planners plan, without government’s support, it is useless.”

Stressing that those that fail to plan well, plan to fail, Ayinde who doubles as the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, said that the first step for a land developer is to consult a planner to carry out thorough investigation on the said land before commencing physical development.

He said that one of the ways of preventing the consequences of indiscriminate illegal development of land is for members of the public to report immediately any suspected illegal structure development around them to the appropriate authority.

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PropertyInterview We signed performance bond with govt, FHA boss Recently, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) was again set on the pathway for commercialisation and its Managing Director, MR. TERVER GEMADE put in charge of the new Interim Management Team. Gemade has a Master of Science Degree in Architecture from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and is a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. In this interview with Assistant Housing & Environment Editor, CHINEDUM UWAEGBULAM, the FHA chief throws more light on the commercialisation process and how he intends to provide outstanding leadership, promote professional excellence and encourage teamwork towards bridging housing gap in the country. Excerpts: Housing Y the inauguration of an Interim ManageB ment Committee team for the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), the Authority seems to have commenced the transition to a fully government owned commercial enterprise. What is the implication of this for housing delivery in the country?

What is happening at the Federal Housing Authority is not a new thing. It’s a continuation of a process that commenced in 1992 with the signing of an agreement with the Technical Committee on Privatization and Commercialisation (TCPC) as it was then known. As you would know, the TCPC is the precursor to today’s Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE). Unfortunately, the effort was not concluded. By that agreement signed by the TCPC, FHA and the Federal Government, the Authority was to transform into a company of government, operating under the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). Even as the process was not concluded, FHA was suddenly removed from the budget. By the time you remove a federal government agency from budget, it will no more received any subvention of government. It is presumed that it is on its own, functioning and sustaining itself with its own resources. But this wasn’t the case, that process was just abandoned.

For over 10 years, we have been operating without any budget. The present Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple, who is carrying out reforms in the housing sector, under the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, picked up the agreement, dusted it up and called for the reform to continue.

Now, the ministry with assistance of BPE is continuing the commercialization of FHA, supervised by the Technical Board of the Authority, which was instituted with the approval of the President. The Interim Management Team (IMT), which I am heading, will do the day to day running of the affairs of the FHA. The IMT has taken off and in the first week of its inauguration, we held a meeting with Lagos State Government, officials of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, represented by the Minister herself, the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Chairman, and the residents association of Festac Town. That was with a view to rehabilitating Festac Town back to its former glory.

So, we have started working as the IMT. Why the name Interim Management Team?

Just like name connotes, anything that is interim, means temporary. This team has been given one year under which to operate. It will be watched for one year on its operations before any other decision will be taken. The team has signed a performance agreement with Federal government, represented by the Minister.

The team will now be judged by its performance or otherwise under the agreement. The agreement is based on target. The key task is for us to drive the commercialization of FHA to completion. Our terms of references include the issue of providing housing. No particular number of houses has been given to us but of course, there is no number of houses we can provide within one year that can be considered enough. Nigeria has a 16 million housing deficit, we can’t build 16 million houses in one year. But we can do the best we can.

Again, considering the facilities available and funding available to us, we can be evaluated by our performance within one year. The gestation period for a house depends on the kind of delivery model we adopt, the spread we make and target market we approach as well as the affordability of the type of housing. We can’t actually say we are giving a number to the housing target. It is not the number that is important; it’s how effective the public is served.

What should the public expect from the FHA under your new team?

Like I said, Nigeria is facing a housing crisis at the moment, and running a deficit. A large number of us do not have our own houses. The situation has been compounded by the fact that the earning capacity of Nigerians is so low; they can’t afford the houses being built by private developers and then government is supposed to build houses that are subsidized for people.

There is so much expectation of the public from government. If we are an IMT, representing government in housing, definitely, Nigerians are expecting very high performance from us within this time.

Your organization has for 10 years has been fending for itself. In other words, to all intent and purposes, FHA has been operating like a commercialized organization; what is the difference in the new dispensation we are envisaging?

Having survived for over 10 years, without budget, you know there must have been some gimmicks we have been playing to be able to stay afloat. Therefore, if we have played those gimmicks all this while, then there is no need been taken back to the budget. All we need is to have a takeoff grant to become a commercialized organization and being a commercialized agency means we should be target driven. We should be profit oriented. We should determine targets and strive to meet them. It will no longer be just to build homes for people where they don’t need them, nor to building homes that are not affordable. It is to get the target market and the housing demand, where and how are people going to acquire these houses. It is all encompassing. We should now know ahead what the earning capacity of the people is. Are they supposed to get these homes through mortgage or through direct purchases? Are they going to get the homes at subsidized rates? All these are factors we must now give serious consideration.

What are the challenges facing FHA at this period of its development?

Certainly, there are challenges. Funding has been greatest challenge because you must have funding for production. But see, if we are not considered in the national budget, how are we funding our projects? This is the question that arises. Off course, you don’t get funds easily. You see, our commercial banks, have very high interest rates, you can’t afford to take loans from them and build homes. Housing is a very capital intensive venture and off course, it requires long term funding which is not readily available in this country. If we want to attract offshore funding, you will find out such companies or development agencies will want sovereign guarantee and Nigerian government is not willing to give guarantee to anybody to bring in money. But it is expected that if we are finally commercialized, the government will give us a takeoff grant, and if we are able to get grant, then we will effectively utilize it to provide housing for the people. We will need trillions of Naira to effectively curb the housing shortage in the country. But we are not looking for trillions. Basically, a couple for hundreds of billions will be enough for us, say like N300 N500 billion can be a good takeoff grant, which will go long way in providing homes for the low and medium income earners. That is the way to look at, but I am not sure of what the government intends to do with us.

How will you handle the house unions in FHA, which are well known for their vibrant agitations under this new arrangement?

Unions are umbrellas of workers, to cater for their welfare. I don’t think that what is happening at this moment has nothing to make the unions worry about. I have tried to secure their

Gemade understanding and buy in into what we are doing from day one. We held a meeting with the union leaders on our first day at work when the IMT took charge. Also on the same day, I held a town hall meeting with the entire staff. We allayed their legitimate fears of any impending job losses. I assured them that government is not trying to bring in adverse situations that would affect their welfare negatively. We made it clear that rather, government was determined to improve the organization and of course, their welfare would also improve. However, the point was also made that there has to be a change of attitude. The old civil service orientation has to change completely as it would no longer be business as usual. The performance agreement we have signed is not limited to members of the Interim Management Team alone. The performance agreement will have to cascade downwards. Everybody will now have measurable targets by which they will be assessed at the end of the year.

FHA plans to transform into a profit making business organization, but you are still expecting to achieve this using the old staff. How do want to achieve the required change or reorientation among the workers?

We are not going to the moon to bring people to do the job. We will still use our staff. Whatever one may say, you cannot take it away from them that they know the terrain. FHA has the largest

collection of the best professionals in the built environment in the country. All we need to do and which is already on the cards is to conduct some seminars, retreat and conferences to give the staff a new orientation. That is required immediately to get staff acquainted with the commercialization process.

They should understand, it going to improve the service output of the organisation instead of thinking it is detrimental to their work process. So, I believe that things have to be changed for good. But off course, you know, it is not everybody that is trainable.

In some government organisations earlier commercialized, the exercise came with heavy job losses, is the case going to be different for FHA? Change is constant in the affairs of men.

Changes are bound to happen even in your home and if you’re a person that can’t accommodate change, then you must be in trouble.

We live in a changing world, so we should also have a change in attitude. Therefore, if your work environment changes, it makes good sense to change with it. If your work ethics changes, you change with it. But if you’re so dogmatic, rigid and impervious to change, then the system has to look for a way to force you to change or drop you. But we are not thinking along such lines now. Rather, we are planning to reorient our staff.

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HOMES&PROPERTY

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Abuja housing show, award holds Exhibition th

HE 7 Abuja Housing T Show will take place at the Musa Yar’adua Centre,

Managing Director, Aframero Limited, Mrs. Yetunde Oghomienor at the opening of IDAN’s home and design exhibition tagged, Guide 2013, organised to celebrate the 2013 world interior day, recently …

Interior designers’ fair showcases modern home concepts Interior Decor

By Tosin Fodeke EW innovations in the N interior decorations were last week on parade in Lagos during an exhibition organised by the Interior Design Association of Nigeria (IDAN), as over 40 firms showcased their latest concepts and products.

Among the latest interior fittings on display were unique customized office and home chairs and fittings, bubble swing chairs, chandeliers, indoor plants, American and Italian bed types, unique paint

Prospective homeowners were treated to emerging interior designs in Lagos where over 40 firms showcased latest home and office fittings at Interior Design Association of Nigeria, (IDAN), home and design exhibition, Guide 2013 coats, wall tiles, partition materials, tile care products and a host of others.

The exhibition offered retailers and manufacturers of building materials and allied services the opportunity to showcase their products.

The fair, which was declared open by past president of Nigerian Institute of Architects, Mr. Femi Majekodunmi and pioneer Director-General of the

Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Pastor Hayford Alile, had on display exhibitors and designers such as interior design experts, Doshlaps, Blue Mahogany, Svengali, Aframero, Essential Interiors, Pinceto, DOII, HoneyWorld, Southwood, Caxtonalile, Bronze Age arts, Interiors, among others.

A committee member of IDAN, Osaru Alile, in a chat with the media explained that

Lagos plans Ikorodu regional market project CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

“It has become imperative that the design of the Ikorodu Regional Market has to put into consideration with the new development along the axis, especially, the expansion of the existing road linking Ikorodu to Ketu. Besides, development along the Ishagamu-AgbowaEpe road must also be put into consideration in view of the various developmental projects going on there”, said a top government official, who anonymously spoke on the issue.

Among the projects along the axis include the Imota Asphalt plant, Agbowa Housing Estate, various estates in Imota and Ikorodu, among others.

With the magnitude of the regional market plan, vis-a-vis other projects, it reasoned that conscious efforts must be put in place to ensure that infrastructure and amenities required must be provided so that the same problems being encountered at the current Mile 12, especially, traffic situation would be avoided.

The Mile 12 market that stretches to Ajelogo, Owode-Onirin in Agboyi-Ketu Local Government Area has being identified as the most congested market in the metropolis.

The market unarguably, boasts of the concentration of foodstuffs of various types, coming from every part of the country.

This has occasioned heavy vehicular movements around that axis, hence the need for relocation inevitable.

The initial plan for the take-off of the proposed market proposed a 500-lock-up shops sitting on almost 90 hectares of land, apart from provision for open spaces and K-klamps.

The market, which architectural design is expected to begin within the first quarter of next year, will come with a large parking lot, a trailer park, a ram market and conveniences.

It would be recalled that part of the setback the plan suffered last year and which officials said has been resolved was the encroachment on the site by land speculators.

The development on the new site taunted as a possible and suitable location for the sprawling market has been taken over by estate developers and individual land owners, which may prompt a change in the proposed site.

The Guardian’s investigation then revealed that some of developers are in possession of legal documents for their respective landed property.

Specifically, between Itamaga Saw Mill and Maya, the two communities that sandwiched Parafa, especially, Alagemo Parafa, that constitutes the heart of the project, are myriads of physical development, owned by individuals and developers, thus, raising doubt

over the possibility of acquiring sufficient space for the market relocation exercise. Last year, senior government officials have admitted ‘encroachment’ and disclosed that discussion was ongoing with the developers.

A resident told The Guardian that they possess documents backing their claims to the land. One of them said, “before I started this project, I made the necessary enquiry from the Land Bureau and Office of Surveyor-General, where it was proved that the land is not under acquisition. However, if the land would be taken over for any project under the socalled overall public interest, government knows what to do and it should be ready for compensation.”

Sources at the state’s Land Bureau, said that some of the developers or house owners in the axis are properly acquired their landed properties, but that one cannot rule out the possibility of illegal occupants, adding that “it is only the ministry of physical planning and urban development that can determine which area is designed for the proposed Ikorodu Regional Market.”

However, Ayinde was optimistic that with the state of things, the project is on course and that Lagos residents would soon witness the take off immediately ideal advisors are unfolded.

the exhibition was tagged Guide 2013 to celebrate the World Interiors Day and bring interior architecture and design to the attention of the public, enhance knowledge and understanding about the profession, and encourage cooperation between professionals with a focus on the range of work of interior designers and their contributions to the society.

She explained that their members have been at the forefront of promoting the relevance of professional interior design in building the economic and cultural wealth of the Nigerian society as well as providing networking support and forge strategic partnerships within the interior design community in Nigeria and internationally “We encourage our members to make their furniture in Nigerian and a few of the exhibitors have on display locally made interior furniture designs. The challenge we have here is manpower and machines; however, things are improving with some members bringing in tools to make the job easier,” said Alile.

She added that the association is also doing a lot to build capacity for its members as well as train artisans to improve safety.

About 40 exhibitors showcased their products at the two-day event, where a design clinic for free consultation, private viewing, young talents and a design lounge were part of the attraction.

Members of Aframero Limited in a chat with The Guardian explained that a lot needs to be done to improve the local content of the furniture market, even as most international companies are moving into using less wood in the design of product, which ends up looking practically like wood material.

They added that the company had improved its furniture stock with various brands of furniture and interior design materials, amongst which are, medium density Fiberboard (M.D.F), Melamine Face Chipboard (M.F.C), Edge banding Tapes, Premium kitchen, office and shop fit- tings, Woodworking machines and tools.

between June 25-26, 2013 in Abuja and bestow awards on individuals who have contributed to the development of housing sector in the country.

The Coordinator of the 7th Abuja Housing Show 2013, and Chief Executive Officer, FESADEB Communications Limited, Mr. Festus Adebayo, disclosed that the Housing Show/Award is an annual programme for honouring, recognizing and encouraging those who have made their mark in the development of housing sector in Nigeria.

Amongst those to be honoured are Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and his Counterpart in Cross River state, Liyel Imoke and Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State. They will receive Housing Governor Award respectively for numerous contributions to Housing Development in their respective states.

According to Adebayo, “the Governors during their first term in office were said to have developed not less than 5,000 housing unit for civil servants in their states through their Public Partnership Partnership Scheme.”

The Coordinator of the 7th Abuja Housing Show 2013, and CEO of FESADEB Communications Limited, Mr. Festus Adebayo, dis-

closed this to newsmen in Abuja, adding that the Housing Show/Award is an annual programme for honouring, recognizing and encouraging those who have contributed to the development of housing sector in Nigeria and this is the 7th edition.

The housing event with the theme The Housing Finance, Building Approval and Town Planning Laws, will feature 50 exhibitors in the housing sector and not less than 1000 attendees from all over Nigeria including all the Commissioners for Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

He added that the programme is organized with the support of Association of Housing Corporation of Nigeria, Abuja Property Writers Association of Nigeria, Housing Development Programme on Television & Housing News Newspaper and Platinum Mortgage Bank Limited.

Other awardees at this year event, according to Adebayo are Brain & Hammers Limited, Jedo Investment Limited, Kasim Ali - COREN President, Igwe Enuoyibo, Brunnel Engineering Limited, Bauhaus International Limited and Private Estates International among others.

The National Assembly, Federal Ministry of Housing, UN Habitat Nigeria, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria FMBN, Federal Housing Authority FHA, are major participants in the 2013 Abuja Housing Show.

Ogun pledges completion of workers’ estate Housing GUN authorities have O concluded plans to complete the already existing structures at the Laderin workers estate in Abeokuta to meet the housing needs of its workforce.

The state Commissioner for Housing, Mr Daniel Adejobi who disclosed this to journalist in Abeokuta, said government would make further use of the available land in the estate to build more houses for its workers, which would be of two and three bedroom flats. Laderin workers estate is presently at the foundation stage.

According to him, all interest buyers will deposit 10 to 20 percent down payment while 80 percent balance would be spread over a period of at least 15 years depending on the age of the buyer.

Mr. Adejobi noted that the existence of the working estate in that area has opened it up to lots of business activities, pointing out that with the speedy development being experience in the estate, government would provide more infrastructures such as drainage’s and good road network.

Adejobi said that government through the State Property Investment Company (OPIC) and Housing Corporation have over 50 housing estates across the state, as they are

Amosun saddled with the responsibilities of providing low cost houses to workers and citizens of the state.

He reiterated Government’s commitment to ensure quality in all construction works being embarked upon, Saying that “Anytime we are having any housing construction, we are always on site to monitor and ensure that right quantity and quality materials are used”.

The Commissioner highlighted part of work done in the last two years as, construction of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) House, reconstruction of Totoro Health Centre, Construction of modern sheds at the mechanic village, ObadaOko, Awowo farm settlement, renovation of cultural centre and completion of existing housing estates across the state.

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TheEnvironment Negotiators in Bonn talks over 2015 climate deal Bonn Climate Summit Stories by Chinedum Uwaegbulam ACED with criticisms and doubts on the future of climate deals, negotiators have jump-started another rounds of talks in Bonn, Germany to fashion out global climate change agreement to be adopted by 2015 and that will come into force in 2020.

Coming on the heels of the first round of talks under the ADP in Bonn, which ended May 3 this year, which governments undertook work on the main contours and central elements of the 2015 agreement, and also on a practical and results-oriented approach to raising immediate climate ambition.

In Bonn, the process of the in-depth review of the adequacy of the two degrees Celsius goal agreed by governments will begin. The review is a reality check on the advance of the climate change threat and the possible need to mobilize further action, and is set to conclude by 2015. During this event, observers not physically present will also be able to participate virtually via webcast and Twitter.

Other key discussions include talks on institutional arrangements that provide the most vulnerable populations with better protection against loss and damage caused by slow onset events such as rising sea levels.

This meeting resumes the second session of the “Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action” (ADP), that is tasked both to complete a universal climate agreement by 2015 that will come into force from 2020,

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Delegates at the Bonn Climate conference, last week

Governments have once again begin the torturous path of climate negotiations under the United Nations in Bonn, which will clarify ways to measure deforestation; and on avoiding negative consequences of climate action. and to find ways to increase the current inadequate level of global ambition to address human-generated climate change before the end of the decade.

The ADP is resuming its work in parallel with the annual sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for

Implementation (SBI) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These bodies will play an essential role in the effective implementation of the outcomes of the recent UN Climate Change Conferences in Cancun (in 2010), in Durban (in 2011) and in Doha last year.

“The negotiations are now in a crucial conceptual phase

of the 2015 agreement, and need inputs from all relevant stakeholders,” according to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres.

“With growing numbers of countries enacting climate legislation, with investment in renewables growing and private sector attention to climate risk increasing, the negotiations can capture the energy and dynamism of all

stakeholders, who in turn need to provide clear inputs as to where more ambition is possible, and where international policy guidance from governments can unleash even more action on their part,” she said.

Ms. Figueres also underlined the importance of the SBSTA and SBI meetings to push forward the significant progress already made in creating an international response to climate change and to sustain a positive momentum towards the next annual UN Climate

Change meeting in Warsaw, scheduled for November 1122.

“While we negotiate the new universal agreement, we must not forget that governments must deliver on existing agreements related to finance, technology and capacity-building. Because of this, implementation of the agreed support systems must continue with the same urgency and focus as the ADP negotiation. I look forward to seeing success showcased across all key areas of climate action when we meet again in Warsaw,” she said.

Nigerian technology shows promise in cutting food waste WED 2013 HE ‘zeer’ evaporative cooler T system, developed by a Nigerian teacher, Mohammed Bah Abba has received accolades at World Environment Day, as one of the technology that can check food waste globally.

The small-scale storage “pot-inpot” system uses two pots of slightly different size, preserves fruit and vegetables without refrigeration and costs less than N310 ($2) and can hold up to 12kg of produce. The smaller pot is placed inside the larger pot and the gap between the two pots is filled with sand.

Tomatoes and guavas, which would last around two days without storage, last up to 20 days in a zeer.

The technology was mentioned in a report released on WED, which says that one out of every four calories produced by the global agricultural system is being lost or wasted. This poses a serious challenge to the planet’s ability to reduce hunger and meet the food needs of a rapidly expanding

global population.

The new working paper, Reducing Food Loss and Waste, shows that more than half of the food lost and wasted in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia occurs close to the fork—at the consumption stage. By contrast, in developing countries, about two-thirds of the food lost and wasted occurs close to the farm—after harvest and storage.

The report was produced by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and draws on research from the FAO. The report makes a range of recommendations including the development of a “food loss and waste protocol” - a global standard for how to measure, monitor, and report food loss and waste. If what gets measured gets managed, then such a protocol could go a long way toward helping governments and companies implement targeted efforts to reduce food loss and waste.

According to the study, which was released today in Mongolia,

The zeer evaporative cooler system global host of WED 2013, the world will need about 60 percent more food calories in 2050 compared to 2006 if global demand continues on its current trajectory.

Halving current rates of food loss and waste, say the authors, would reduce this gap by a fifth. This would also result in

major savings in water use, energy, pesticides and fertilizers, and would be a boost for global food security.

“Beyond all the environmental benefits, reducing food loss and waste will save money for people and companies,” said Craig Hanson, Director of WRI’s People & Ecosystems Program

and a co-author of the study.

“The world needs urgent solutions to feed its growing population and reducing loss and waste is a critical piece toward a more sustainable food future.

“It is an extraordinary fact that in the 21st century, close to 25 per cent of all the calories linked with growing and pro-

ducing food are lost or wasted between the farm and the fork—food that could feed the hungry, food that has required energy, water and soils in a world of increasing natural resource scarcities and environmental concerns including climate change,” said UN UnderSecretary General and UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner.

“Yet within the challenge of food are the seeds of a more cooperative and sustainable future—in short it is an issue that unites everyone today and generations to come,” he added.

“Everyone—from farmers and food companies to retailers, shipping lines, packagers, hotels, restaurants and households—has a role to play, and, in doing so, can contribute to maximizing the opportunities of the Millennium Development Goals, eradicating inequalities in rich and poor countries alike and laying the foundations of a more environmentally sustainable pathway for billions of people,” said Mr. Steiner.

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Agency urges strict compliance with environmental standard

The Environment From Lillian Chukwu, Abuja MID controversy trailing the closure of some Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) in Plateau state, the National Environmental Standards Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has mandated all operators to ensure their facility comply with laid down regulations, especially site specific environmental Impact assessment certificate.

The agency also denied allegation that its closure of some BTS is responsible for the poor telecommunication services or ‘drop calls’ being experienced in the country. NESREA heaped the blame of deterioration in services on vandalism of BTS facilities, epileptic power supply, obsolete equipment and sharp practices by building contractors.

Director-General, NESREA, Dr. Ngeri Benebo told The Guardian last week in Abuja that NATCOMS accusations are baseless since the agency had mandated all operators to ensure that all their new BTS must be environmentally compliant with the agency’s regulations.

NATCOMS president, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo had urged the federal government to caution NESREA over the “disturbance of telecoms industry growth” especially on the recent closure of one of Globacom’s base stations in Plateau state for “allegedly’ not adhering to regulations.

Benebo said that despite recent meetings with the ministers of Environment and Communications technology that resolved issues of specifications, these BTS offenders were still unwilling to adhere.

Benebo said: “We want environmental governance, global best practice. Since the security challenges, we have not sealed up any BTS, it’s the new ones that are springing up that we are giving stop orders…because for the new ones we expect them to adhere to laid down regulations.”

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World Environment Day celebration by Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team in Ibadan, Oyo State, last week

Stakeholders harp on food, water preservation WED 2013

By Tunde Alao and Tosin Fodeke S the environmentalists marked the World Environment Day (WED), last week, the Lagos State Government and Nestle Nigeria Plc have called for food, water and energy preservation.

The call, according to Lagos State Government became necessary in view of a report that predicts food scarcity as a result of effects of climate change on the planet earth.

At the 2013 World Environment Day (WED), organised by the Lagos Government last week, officials who spoke on: “Think, Eat, Save”, harped on the need for Africa in general and Nigeria, in particular, to heed the report carried our few years ago that African farmers would face hotter seasons than they had ever experienced.

According to the report, the situation would be so grim that it would affect food yield such as maize, millet and sorghum, as well as exacerbate the hardship currently experienced as far as food security is concerned.

Lagos Governor, Babatunde Fahola, represented by his

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Going by a report, which predicts grimmer climate, the Lagos State Government has called stakeholders to ensure food is preserved, while Nestle says it is working to ensure wastage of water and reduction of energy consumption Deputy, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulure, said methane gas is the most harmful greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change, adding, it has been established beyond doubt that climate change will affect agriculture, particularly food production.

According to Fashola, the significance of food to earthly people is amplified by the saying that if every single human being on this planet had enough food, it would change the societies. It would stop wars, put an end to suffering and even change the course of human history.

The Governor noted, however, that on a global scale, the staggering amount of food being wasted is wholly unacceptable and a huge drain on nation’s precious recourse, adding that: “We must make informed choices in buying and consuming food. Food wastage occurs because many producers, retailers and consumers discard food that is

still fit for consumption.

In his address, Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said this year’s event was geared towards influencing the people to change the increasing culture of food waste.

In Ibadan, Chairman, Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team (NEST), Prof David Okali, said the group chose to focus on keeping the environment clean and green, and saving/protecting the environment.

He emphasized strongly that “each and every one of us can play his or her own part in maintaining the environment – keeping it clean and using its resources wisely. It is the aggregation of our individual efforts that ends up making a significant mark on the environment.”

Prof Okali noted that “one of the commonest environmental eyesores in this country is garbage that dots our urban space - from paper, polythene bags, cans, bottles, food

wastes, any disused matter, accentuated these days most strikingly by litter from ‘pure water’ bags. The ‘pure water’ polythene bags that litter the streets are usually not dumped there in basket- or lorry-loads. No, they have been dropped one by one as people use them and thoughtlessly drop them in the street.

“If each person using a bag spared a thought for the environment and withheld dropping his/her used bag in the street. The collective effect will be streets free of litter bags.

“Consider the use of firewood or charcoal for cooking.

If we spare a thought for the environment and insist on using efficient stoves for burning firewood or charcoal, we would reduce the need for cutting wood from the forest, thus reducing deforestation, ecosystem disruption, biodiversity loss, and loss of ecosystem services.

In a facility tour to mark the WED, the Managing Director, Nestle Plc, Mr. Dharnesh Gordon, said the goal of his company is to be the most efficient water user among food manufacturers in Nigeria.

He explained that the company has embedded sustainable water management into its business decisions adding that “At our Agbara factory we

have increased water reuse, reduced water withdrawal and discharges and returning clean water to the environment among others”.

The firm also launched various processes including, a trigeneration plant, CIP station and a new malt plant which allows the company save as much as 50 per cent of its water and energy needs.

Safety Health and Environment Manager, Mr. John Adeniji, explained that the construction of a combined Tri-generation plant, which produces electricity, hot water and chilled water, has helped the company reduce energy generation costs, CO2 carbon footprints and increase efficiency.

Adeniji stated that, with a generation capacity of 7.6 megawatts the Tri-generation plant has been able to increase efficiency by 74 per cent while its CO 2 has been reduced to 5000 tCO2 per year.

He added that the Agbara factory has its own wastewater treatment facility, which achieves the legal limits of COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) of 50 mg per litre for treated effluents returning to the environment. We always ensure that treated water is clean enough to sustain marine life.

Wasting food is no longer an option, UNDP WED 2013 the wake of reports that 1.3 IedNbillion tonnes of food is wastevery year, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Daouda Toure, has advised the populace to make food choices and informed decisions that will limit emissions and reduce food waste.

Speaking at an event to mark this year’s World Environment Day celebration, he said: “Making informed decision therefore means, for example, that you purposefully select foods that have less of an environmental impact, such as organic foods that do not use chemicals in the production

process. Choosing to buy locally can also mean that foods are not flown halfway across the world and therefore limit emissions.

Globally, June 5 of every year is dedicated to promoting awareness on the importance of protecting our planet, identifying problems related to the environment, such as climate change, global warming, disasters and conflicts, harmful substances, environmental governance, ecosystem management and resource efficiency and taking corrective actions in the interest of our collective survival.

This year’s theme “Think.Eat.Save: Reduce Your Foodprint” is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages everyone of us to pay attention to our consumption patterns and take

urgent steps to reduce our foodprint.

According to recent UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, and this is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, of which Nigeria is inclusive.

While the planet is struggling to provide us with enough resources to sustain its 7 billion people (growing to 9 billion by 2050).

The report estimates that a third of global food production is either wasted or lost and while one in every seven people in the world go to bed hungry; and more than 20,000 children under the age of five die daily from hunger.

Food waste therefore constitutes an enormous drain on natural resources and is a

major contributor to negative environmental impacts.

“Therefore this year’s theme encourages all of us to become more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices we make and empowers us to make informed decisions.

“This year’s theme ethically challenges us to take action from our individual homes and then witness the power of collective decisions you and others have made to reduce food waste, save money, minimise the environmental impact of food production and force food production processes to become more efficient. “It is also important to note that Climate change in form of increases in the incidence of extreme weather events, floods, production

shocks, population growth, increasing global affluence, stronger linkages between agriculture and energy markets, and natural resource constraints will all impact on food prices.

This is why, as a part of our ongoing partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment, UNDP has supported the development of major policies as part of the critical measures for reducing the underlying risks of climate change.

“We should see it as a major opportunity to reshape our economic thinking, revamp processes of reform, and reframe the approaches to development delivers more effectively on the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability,” he added.

Edo charges residents on reforestation The Environment From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin efforts to reduce emission IEdoNof dangerous greenhouse gas, state government has called on residents ensure the planting of at least three trees for every tree fell for various uses.

A statement by the Commissioner for Environment and Public Utilities, Clem Agba made available to journalists also called on companies operating in the state to take deliberate steps “to have ecologically-friendly policies and corporate/social responsibility agenda” Agba said: “Our forests are increasingly being felled and cleared for agricultural use and infrastructural development at rates greater than the regeneration capacity of the environment. Demand for production of food puts unprecedented pressure on our forest reserves and invariably lead to forest loss.

“To ameliorate the effect of global warming, we all need to collectively retrace and change our wasteful habits while at the same time embark on an aggressive planting of trees.”

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Weekly Lead Equity Ratings

COMPANY’S RESULT

CONTINUE FROM PAGE 30

STOCKWATCH

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STOCKWATCH

What is venture capital and how does it operate?

ENTURE Capital is a form of "risk capital". In other words, capital V that is invested in a project (in this case - a business) where there is a substantial element of risk relating to the future creation of profits and cash flows. Risk capital is invested as shares (equity) rather than as a loan and the investor requires a higher rate of return" to compensate him for his risk. Venture capital provides long-term, committed share capital, to help unquoted companies grow and succeed. If an entrepreneur is looking to start-up, expand, buy-into a business, buy-out a business in which he works, turnaround or revitalize a company, venture capital could help do this.

Obtaining venture capital is substantially different from raising debt or a loan from a lender. Lenders have a legal right to interest on a loan and repayment of the capital, irrespective of the success or failure of a business. Venture capital is invested in exchange for an equity stake in the business. As a shareholder, the venture capitalist's return is dependent on the growth and profitability of the business. This return is generally earned when the venture capitalist "exits" by selling its shareholding when the business is sold to another owner.

With few exceptions, private equity in the first half of the 20th century was the domain of wealthy individuals and families. The Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Rockefellers, and Warburgs were notable investors in private companies in the first half of the century. In 1938, Laurance S. Rockefeller helped finance the creation of both Eastern Air Lines and Douglas Aircraft and the Rockefeller family had vast holdings in a variety of companies. Eric M. Warburg founded E.M. Warburg & Co. in 1938, which would ultimately become Warburg Pincus, with investments in both leveraged buyouts and venture capital It was not until after World War II that what is considered today to be true private equity investments began to emerge marked by the founding of the first two venture capital firms in 1946: American Research and Development Corporation. (ARDC) and J.H. Whitney & Company. ARDC was founded by Georges Doriot, the "father of venture capitalism" (former dean of Harvard Business School and founder of INSEAD), with Ralph Flanders and Karl Compton (former president of MIT), to encourage private sector investments in businesses run by soldiers who were returning from World War II. ARDC's significance was primarily that it was the first institutional private equity investment firm that raised capital from sources other than wealthy families although it had several notable investment successes as well. ARDC is credited with the first trick when its 1957 investment of $70,000 in Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) would be valued at over $355 million after the company's initial public offering in 1968 (representing a return of over 1200 times on its investment and an annualized rate of return of 101%).

Venture capitalists are typically very selective in deciding what to invest in; as a rule of thumb, a fund may invest in one in four hundred opportunities presented to it. Funds are most interested in ventures with exceptionally high growth potential, as only such opportunities are likely capable of providing the financial returns and successful exit event within the required timeframe (typically 3–7 years) that venture capitalists expect. Young companies wishing to raise venture capital require a combination of extremely rare, yet sought after, qualities, such as innovative technology, potential for rapid growth, a well-developed business model, and an impressive management team. VCs typically reject 98% of opportunities presented to them reflecting the rarity of this combination. Because investments are illiquid and require 3–7 years to harvest, venture capitalists are expected to carry out detailed due diligence prior to investment. Venture capitalists also are expected to nurture the companies in which they invest, in order to increase the likelihood of reaching an IPO stage when valuations are favorable. Venture capitalists typically assist at four stages in the company's development: • Idea generation • Start-up • Ramp up • Exit Because there are no public exchanges listing their securities, private companies meet venture capital firms and other private equity investors in several ways, including warm referrals from the investors' trusted sources and other business contacts; investor conferences and symposia; and summits where companies pitch directly to investor groups in face-to-face meetings, including a variant known as "Speed Venturing", which is akin to speed-dating for capital, where the investor decides within 10 minutes whether s/he wants a follow-up meeting. In addition there are some new private online networks that are emerging to provide additional opportunities to meet investors.

This need for high returns makes venture funding an expensive capital source for companies, and most suitable for businesses having large up-front capital requirements which cannot be financed by cheaper alternatives such as debt. That is most commonly the case for intangible assets such as software, and other intellectual property, whose value is unproven. In turn this explains why venture capital is most prevalent in the fast-growing technology and life sciences or biotechnology fields. If a company does have the qualities venture capitalists seek including a solid business plan, a good management team, investment and passion from the founders, a good potential to exit the investment before the end of their funding cycle, and target minimum returns in excess of 40% per year, it will

find it easier to raise venture capital.

The investment process, from reviewing the business plan to actually investing in a proposition, can take a venture capitalist anything from one month to one year but typically it takes between 3 and 6 months. There are always exceptions to the rule and deals can be done in extremely short time frames. Much depends on the quality of information provided and made available.

The key stage of the investment process is the initial evaluation of a business plan. Most approaches to venture capitalists are rejected at this stage. In considering the business plan, the venture capitalist will consider several principal aspects: • Is the product or service commercially viable?

• Does the company have potential for sustained growth?

• Does management have the ability to exploit this potential and control the company through the growth phases?

• Does the possible reward justify the risk?

• Does the potential financial return on the investment meet their investment criteria?

In structuring its investment, the venture capitalist may use one or more of the following types of share capital: • Ordinary shares - These are equity shares that are entitled to all income and capital after the rights of all other classes of capital and creditors have been satisfied. Ordinary shares have votes. In a venture capital deal these are the shares typically held by the management and family shareholders rather than the venture capital firm.

• Preferred ordinary shares - These are equity shares with special rights. For example, they may be entitled to a fixed dividend or share of the profits. Preferred ordinary shares have votes.

• Preference shares - These are non-equity shares. They rank ahead of all classes of ordinary shares for both income and capital. Their income rights are defined and they are usually entitled to a fixed dividend (eg. 10% fixed). The shares may be redeemable on fixed dates or they may be irredeemable. Sometimes they may be redeemable at a fixed premium (eg. at 120% of cost). They may be convertible into a class of ordinary shares.

• Loan capital - Venture capital loans typically are entitled to interest and are usually, though not necessarily repayable. Loans may be secured on the company's assets or may be unsecured. A secured loan will rank ahead of unsecured loans and certain other creditors of the company. A loan may be convertible into equity shares. Alternatively, it may have a warrant attached which gives the loan holder the option to subscribe for new equity shares on terms fixed in the warrant. They typically carry a higher rate of interest than bank term loans and rank behind the bank for payment of interest and repayment of capital.

Venture capital investments are often accompanied by additional financing at the point of investment. This is nearly always the case where the business in which the investment is being made is relatively mature or well-established. In this case, it is appropriate for a business to have a financing structure that includes both equity and debt.

Other forms of finance provided in addition to venture capitalist equity include: • Clearing banks - principally provide overdrafts and short to medium-term loans at fixed or, more usually, variable rates of interest.

• Merchant banks - organise the provision of medium to longerterm loans, usually for larger amounts than clearing banks. Later they can play an important role in the process of "going public" by advising on the terms and price of public issues and by arranging underwriting when necessary.

• Finance houses - provide various forms of installment credit, ranging from hire purchase to leasing, often asset based and usually for a fixed term and at fixed interest rates.

• Factoring companies - provide finance by buying trade debts at a discount, either on a recourse basis (you retain the credit risk on the debts) or on a non-recourse basis (the factoring company takes over the credit risk).

• Government - provide financial aid to companies, ranging from project grants (related to jobs created and safeguarded) to enterprise loans in selective areas.

• Mezzanine firms - provide loan finance that is halfway between equity and secured debt. These facilities require either a second charge on the company's assets or are unsecured. Because the risk is consequently higher than senior debt, the interest charged by the mezzanine debt provider will be higher than that from the

principal lenders and sometimes a modest equity "up-side" will be required through options or warrants. It is generally most appropriate for larger transactions.

There are typically six stages of venture round financing offered in Venture Capital, that roughly correspond to these stages of a company's development.

• Seed Money: Low level financing needed to prove a new idea (Often provided by "angel investors") • Start-up: Early stage firms that need funding for expenses associated with marketing and product development • First-Round (Series A round): Early sales and manufacturing funds • Second-Round: Working capital for early stage companies that are selling product, but not yet turning a profit • Third-Round: Also called Mezzanine financing, this is expansion money for a newly profitable company • Fourth-Round: Also called bridge financing, 4th round is intended to finance the "going public" process Between the first round and the fourth round, venture backed companies may also seek to take "venture debt Venture capitalist prefers to invest in "entrepreneurial businesses". This does not necessarily mean small or new businesses.

Rather, it is more about the investment's aspirations and potential for growth, rather than by current size. Such businesses are aiming to grow rapidly to a significant size. As a rule of thumb, unless a business can offer the prospect of significant turnover growth within five years, it is unlikely to be of interest to a venture capital firm. Venture capital investors are only interested in companies with high growth prospects, which are managed by experienced and ambitious teams who are capable of turning their business plan into reality. Venture capital firms usually look to retain their investment for between three and seven years or more. The term of the investment is often linked to the growth profile of the business. Investments in more mature businesses, where the business performance can be improved quicker and easier, are often sold sooner than investments in early-stage or technology companies where it takes time to develop the business model.

Venture capital firms raise their funds from several sources. To obtain their funds, venture capital firms have to demonstrate a good track record and the prospect of producing returns greater than can be achieved through fixed interest or quoted equity investments. Most UK venture capital firms raise their funds for investment from external sources, mainly institutional investors, such as pension funds and insurance companies. Venture capital firms' investment preferences may be affected by the source of their funds. Many funds raised from external sources are structured as Limited Partnerships and usually have a fixed life of 10 years. Within this period the funds invest the money committed to them and by the end of the 10 years they will have had to return the investors' original money, plus any additional returns made.

This generally requires the investments to be sold, or to be in the form of quoted shares, before the end of the fund.

Venture Capital Trusts (VCT's) are quoted vehicles that aim to encourage investment in smaller unlisted (unquoted and AIM quoted companies) UK companies by offering private investors tax incentives in return for a five-year investment commitment.

The first were launched in autumn 1995 and are mainly managed

by UK venture capital firms. If funds are obtained from a VCT, there may be some restrictions regarding the company's future development within the first few years.

To support an initial positive assessment of your business proposition, the venture capitalist will want to assess the technical and financial feasibility in detail by carrying out a Due Diligence review. External consultants are often used to assess market prospects and the technical feasibility of the proposition, unless the venture capital firm has the appropriately qualified people inhouse. Chartered accountants are often called on to do much of the due diligence, such as to report on the financial projections and other financial aspects of the plan. These reports often follow a detailed study, or a one or two day overview may be all that is required by the venture capital firm. They will assess and review the following points concerning the company and its management: • Management information systems • Forecasting techniques and accuracy of past forecasting • Assumptions on which financial assumptions are based • The latest available management accounts, including the company's cash/debtor positions • Bank facilities and leasing agreements • Pensions funding • Employee contracts, etc.

The due diligence review aims to support or contradict the venture capital firm's own initial impressions of the business plan formed during the initial stage. References may also be taken up on the company (eg. with suppliers, customers, and bankers).

Venture capital firms are typically structured as partnerships, the general partners of which serve as the managers of the firm and will serve as investment advisors to the venture capital funds raised. Venture capital firms may also be structured as limited liability companies, in which case the firm's managers are known as managing members. Investors in venture capital funds are known as limited partners. This constituency comprises both high net worth individuals and institutions with large amounts of available capital, such as state and private pension funds, university financial endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and pooled investment vehicles, called fund of fund.

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BusinessInterview Structural deficiency in Nigeria’s budgeting system

Alufohai

Agele Alufohai is the President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors who holds the belief that the competitiveness in Nigeria’s economic structure is currently being undermined by mediocrity and corruption. In this interview with Business Editor, ADE OGIDAN, he prescribed options capable of bailing the country out of the quagmire. Excerpts: would you assess the practice of quality HMyOW surveying in the country today? name is A. Alufohai. Today, we have very capable quantity surveyors handling the practice in the country. Quantity survey has grown tremendously from what it used to be decades ago. What is gratifying is that the quantity survey business in Nigeria is commendable. In the 60s to the 80s, quantity surveying fared considering other fields where you still have the domination of foreign firms. This is because of our hardwork and drive in terms of skills and capacity building both in Nigeria and Abroad.

What do you have to say about collaborations between Nigerian firms and foreign consortium?

Neigbouring countries and South Africa are seeking reciprocity in terms of issuance of certificates so that foreign firms can come and practice and are well acceptable in Africa with many Nigerians. Africans have not relented in their quest to obtain Nigerian certificates in order to make them practice here in the country.

Nigerians abroad also go the extra mile to obtain international certifications, especially that of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and that has also been our strength. The emphasis is the background, knowledge that we acquired there.

But how have you been able to tackle the issue of regulation?

We have the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria, the regulatory body recognised by government. The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) is out to train our members to attain high professional status.

There are three stages before writing the profes-

sional corporate examination for any graduate. After that, the NIQS will now recommend such person to the registration board. They ensure that we do not have undue challenges once you become a registered member; you use your stamp and seal. This restricts infiltration of quacks. We also have a directory of members and firms, which has been circulated to corporate clients. This helps to check the issue of quacks. This forms part of our publicity strategy such that for a person to be engaged by a company, he must be a registered member of NIQS. With documents like this and public enlightenment we have been able to reduce the number of quacks in the industry.

It is quite gratifying that professionals in the country are indigenous practitioners. We still have heavy presence of foreign contractors lobbying for contracts. To what extent are those contractors engaged by government?

That is a big issue. To a large extent, they patronise our members. But what we are clamouring for is that government should patronise indigenous firms. Quantity survey-

ors are cost economists and specialist advisers to the construction industry, especially, the monetary aspect, which is the core of any project. Contractors don’t joke with us because we assess and provide what the cost of a project would be, you can hardly find many of these foreign construction companies employing qualified architects and engineers but you will find qualified quantity surveyors in these companies. The reason is because, when it comes to construction, the architect designs, but the quantity surveyor determines the cost of the budget. It is based on this that procurement is done by contractors. This helps contractors to make realistic budgets. You will find the active participation of architects and engineers at the site of construction. The quantity surveyor also helps to assess the progress made at the site of construction and determine how much to be paid to contractors. In essence, the quantity surveyor is like the hub of the wheel in the construction industry.

With such profile, to which extent are your members involved in budget preparation especially in the public sector?

Quantity surveyors are cost economists and specialist advisers to the construction industry, especially, the monetary aspect, which is the core of any project. Contractors don’t joke with us because we assess and provide what the cost of a project would be, you can hardly find many of these foreign construction companies employing qualified architects and engineers but you will find qualified quantity surveyors in these companies.

That is where we are not involved.

Unfortunately, I have never worked in the civil service but I have friends there. However, the budgeting system is structurally defective in the sense that budgets are done yearly based on historical method rather than needs. Experts are not involved in the budget parameters especially in the cost issues. What I think is happening is that the accounting profession is so old and they prepare budget based on historical methods.

We need to do it right like it is done elsewhere in the world. The budget office should involve inputs of professionals in budget drafting.

Various ministries have some quantity surveyors. However, the extent of involvement of the surveyors is not known to us. However, we have never been invited for their consultations.

When it comes to budget preparation, the usual ground word is not always done properly.

We have non performing budgets because budgets are not prepared based on needs.

If you look at the budget trend of other countries in the world, they dove tail into each other.

That is, the long term and short term budgets.

Budgets should be prepared in such a way that where there is succession of governments, the budget remains operational. All that would be needed to do is just align the yearly budget with the medium term budget already prepared.

This would also reduce the littering of abandoned projects in the country.

That is our core strength as quantity surveyors Yes. We have been able to provide a lifecycle model. From inception to construction to maintenance. Quantity surveying is about cost,

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assailing economic plans, says Alufohai cost analysis and even project management.

Are you saying that all these anomalies in budget preparation, especially in procurement, have not been taken care of in the present procurement Act which is a product of a long debate?

It has, but the execution is an issue. The theoretical aspect is good. If the budget office gives a certificate of no objection to a ministry and the ministry is not giving the money, there will be issues.

Even when you have the money, it is usually not enough to execute the required project. That is where the dilemma is.

Could it have been a fallout of the overwhelming recurrent expenditure injuring capital spending over the years?

Yes, the percentage of recurrent expenditure is far above capital expenditure. That is where you need to encourage the private sector. Out of the limited capital, use it to encourage and create an enabling environment. If private-public partnership is encouraged, there will be no abandoned projects.

Creating an enabling environment includes creating infrastructure to aid businesses. For instance, compare Lekki to Osborne Phase II in Lagos here, where infrastructure are in contradiction to each other. The roads, drainage and others are in place in Osborne and this has increased the population in that area compared to Lekki. The infrastructure in the area is not in place in Lekki. The same government has for a long time been collecting capital contribution to provide these basic infrastructure. In Lekki, today, most houses are build below the road level. If you come to Lekki in a rainy day, it is almost difficult to have access to some places.

Government needs to plan effectively and encourage public private partnership to reduce recurrent expenditure. Project conducted solely by private sector are usually effective with basic infrastructure in place.

In Nigeria, the private sector is relatively under developed and finds it difficult to assure the drivers’ role in economic development. What is your assessment of the private sector in driving this growth?

The Nigerian private sector is just beginning to get it right. Government has over time neglected that sector. They didn’t see the private sector as partners in progress. They just realized that there must be a synergy between the public and private sectors in order to drive the economy. That is why there is a clamour for public private partnerships. For government to indicate that they are now serious, we now have the infrastructure construction Regulation Commissioner which now has Ken Nnamani is its new chairman. This commission has only been in place not tioo long ago.

So you can imagine. This is what people use to drive growth in developed economies to drive investments. It is only recently that we have concessioning in our vocabulary. It is only through concessioning that non-functioning federal agencies are driven for effectiveness. I believe that PPP is the way to go. However, we need to ensure that government’s intention is sincere and properly driven to ensure transparency, accountability and integrity.

How can you relate PPP and skills of quantity surveyors for lifecycle management to the provision of mass housing?

I would like to commend Alhaji Lateef Jakande for providing that initiative to care for the housing needs of the masses. You have on one hand, the issue of mass housing and on the other, social housing. What Jakande did in his own time was more of social housing. To a large extent, I was an active participant during that period as I was working with G.Cappa Plc then. We submitted a proposal to him because we were aware of the project then. Now, most of the houses cannot stand the test of time. If go to Jakande estate at Lekki, most of the houses are not in a good state.

This is because the project was done by political contractors. If it had been constructed by certified professionals, things would have been better. What we are saying is that you can employ political contractors but we would let them work according to professional standards. The profit that they think they would make would still be accrued to them.

If you look at schools and buildings built by

The budgeting system is structurally defective in the sense that budgets are done yearly based on historical method rather than needs

Governor Fashola should decommission Jakande estates. But in doing so, he should put in place a replacement structure that will make sure that all the people that have titles are still retained in an elevated environment. In terms of land economy, we should now be expanding vertically rather than horizontally because the land that is seating a house can seat ten floors.

Mudashiru, they are still there today because he engaged the private sector in the project.

This is unlike Jakande buildings. The solution is that cost professionals should be involved in the project.

Urban renewal requires a lot of things. When I visited Jakande estate, I discovered that there are lands that are not being utilized especially those ones extending towards the Lagoon.

Majority of the people there are under-utilizing their apartments. To achieve urban renewal in such areas, Fashola needs to erect more buildings with floors and properly managed by professionals. You can move people living along the road to the new buildings in order to renovate the old buildings with owners still retaining the titles of their lands. It is done all over the world and Nigeria can replicate this too. Government just needs to partner with the private sector. You will discover that such a prime land is wasting in that area.

On land economy, you will discover that Jakande estate on Lekki road is a sharp contrasts. You can use political machinery to driven PPP that would enhance development.

What can you prescribe as solution to the Jakande estate issue?

The estate is located in a prime location. The buildings in the neighbourhood are in sharp contrast to what you have in Jakande estate.

The houses in Jakande estate are no longer fit for the area. All you need to do is apply the same model as to all Jakande estates and begin to do away with all of those old buildings. They are collapsing. Government needs to decommission the buildings. The buildings are due for decommissioning.

Governor Fashola should decommission Jakande estates. But in doing so, he should put in place a replacement structure that will make sure that all the people that have titles are still retained in an elevated environment.

In terms of land economy, we should now be expanding vertically rather than horizontally because the land that is seating a house can seat ten floors. In terms of land economy, you are wasting that land. If you build a high-rise building, more people would be accommodated. This will also bridge the social gap. It would extend the lifespan index and reduce the pressure of traffic. However, a proper maintenance culture most be put in place.

In terms of capital projects, to which extent do you think that fiscal and monetary policies have been supportive?

We are not using maximally them and effectively to support the construction industry. If you however look at this year’s budget on construction, you may commend the Jonathan administration. We however need to see capital projects to the end. The construction industry is the barometer of the economy because when construction activities take place, employment will be guaranteed.

The budget allocation to the constructive industry is a mere four per cent but the entire consumption from conception to conclusion, is heavy. In other climes, budgetary allocation to the construction industry is high. The funds pooled from taxes should be used effectively.

Government must also encourage the mortgage industry of the economy. The Lagos homes scheme is encouraging but this can be encouraged nationwide. The housing policy has been with the National Assembly for a while and we hope they will pass it into law soon. That would also aid employment and provide for housing needs in the society.

Alufohai

Alufohai

Alufohai

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BondWatch DLM BOND WATCH: June 10, 2013

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Published in association with (Regulated by the Securities & Exchange Commission of Nigeria)

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NigeriaCapitalMarket NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at Friday PRICE LIST OF SYMBOLS TRADED FOR 07/06/2013

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CAPITAL MARKET 65

NSE Daily Summary (Equities) as at 07/06/2013

PRICE GAINERS

LOSERS

Investors stake N273.3b in FGN bonds in one week

By Helen Oji HE Over-The-Counter (OTC) market for FGN bonds, last week recorded a turnover of 239.266 million units valued at N273.295 billion in 1,076 deals, in contrast to 157.881 million units worth N174.329 billion in 859 deals recorded during the week ended May 31, 2013.

Similarly, a turnover of 1.917 billion shares worth of N25.133 billion in 32,368 deals were traded this week by investors on the floor of The Exchange in contrast to a total of 1.503 billion shares valued at N14.109 billion that exchanged hands in 24,007 deals during the preceding week.

Specifically, the financial services sector (measured by volume) led the activity chart with a turnover of 1.302 billion shares valued at N13.510 billion traded in 17,126 deals.

T

The sector represented 67.93 per cent and 53.76 per cent of the total traded volume and value respectively.

The banking sub-sector, boosted by activity in the shares of Zenith Bank Plc, Unity Bank Plc and Skye Bank Plc was the most active subsector on the week’s activity chart with a subsector turnover of 1.013 billion shares valued at N11.376 billion exchanged hands by investors in 11,873 deals, as the sector accounted for 52.87 per cent and 45.27 per cent of the total subsector traded volume and value respectively.

Also traded during the week were 234 units of NewGold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) valued at N504, 991 executed in five deals compared with a total of 52 units valued at N111, 579 transacted last week in three deals.

One thousand one hundred

units of FGN bonds valued at N123, 765 were traded during the week in seven deals in contrast to 300 units valued at N33, 242 transacted last week in three deals.

Fifty-eight equities appreciat-

ed in prices during the week higher than 40 equities of the preceding week. Twenty-six equities depreciated in prices lower than 36 equities of the preceding week, while 109 equities remained constant

lower than 119 equities of the preceding week.

A total of 761,642,721 ordinary shares were added to the share outstanding of First City Monument Bank Plc arising from a bonus issue of one for

25 on June 5th, 2013.

West African Aluminium Plc and Nigerian Wire Industries Plc were delisted from trading on the Exchange on June 4, 2013. This is because of their failure to regularise their listing status with the Exchange.

Pharma-Deko gets approval to raise fresh capital of Pharma- planned to raise would be willing and fully ready to take profit after tax of N741 million SpanyHAREHOLDERS Deko Plc have given the com- used to boost its activities and up their rights, and we know after considering the de-recogtheir unanimous increase its working capital. that this would ensure the suc- nition of loan liability of N671 approval to raise fresh funds from the capital market.

A statement by the company said that the approval was given at the company’s 43rd yearly general meeting.

According to the statement, shareholders said the company could raise the fresh funds by way of Rights Issue.

The Managing Director, Pharma-Deko, Adekunle Abibu, said the funds the company

He said, “however, we hope with the assurance of our shareholders to turnaround the company, there would be an injection of fresh equity funds by way of Rights Issue as unanimously passed among the resolutions considered at this meeting.

“We are glad to note that the shareholders have asked that we fast-track actions required for this exercise, as they are

cess of the offer.

“We remain confident that with the fund generated by way of Right Issue, the company’s pharmaceutical and consumer plants’ facilities will be upgraded to ensure compliance with international recognised standards.”

The statement explained that the company recorded 13 per cent decrease in turnover in the year 2012, and recorded a

million.

“The year 2012 was a remarkable year for the company as there was significant improvement in our financial statements marked with the reconstruction of its balance sheet.

The total equity of the company and the shareholders fund which have been in the negative since 2007 was transformed to positive in 2012,” Abibu said.

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Opinion Before the clampdown on MASSOB, OPC

By Victor Oshisada HE PUNCH newspaper of May 31, 2013 reported Tcommence that the Federal Government might before long a clampdown on “extremist groups”, especially the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram. He explained that the three constituted threats to national security. President Goodluck Jonathan, as the chief national security officer, spoke in his Midterm Report that was presented to mark the Democracy Day. His words: “The activities of the MASSOB and the OPC, though not as violently intense as those of Boko Haram, they still pose a serious security challenge to the Nigerian state”. Curiously, the President omitted the MEND. It could be an omission from the head and not from the heart. Whatever it could be, I am treating MEND in this piece. Concerning the first two organisations, I disagree with the President for some reasons. But I agree with him intoto on Boko Haram. Nobody can gainsay his claims on the needs for security.

Security of persons and properties is fundamental. It is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Without both, there can be no foundation for peace and development in all strata. However, of the four main movements – MASSOB, OPC, MEND and Boko Haram – the last of them is the worst, and deserves to be clamped-down upon.

There is the need to examine each of them to know their objectives and methods of operations.

First, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) is a secessionist movement with the aim of securing the resurgence of the defunct state of Biafra from Nigeria.

Its leaders argue that it is a peaceful group to support this contention and advertised the plan to achieve its goal peacefully. The group’s philosophy

is hinged upon the principle of non-violence as propagated by Mahatma Gandhi of India (1869 to 1948). MASSOB members, in recent years, reserve its activities for celebrating key dates and events in commemoration of dead members.

MASSOB does not kill people or destroy properties, rather, its members were allegedly killed by security agents. It is the opinion of this writer that there is nothing wrong to demand for the resurgence of a defunct state, like Biafra, if it is possible to achieve it. It is not possible, because secession is frowned at in the 1999 Constitution (amended). Therefore, as MASSOB is not a danger to the State, it does not require to be axed; it must be left alone to its periodical peaceful protests. In the events of minor clashes, the leaders could be arrested and detained. That is normal.

Second, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is an organisation that claims to expose the exploitation and the oppression of the people of the Niger Delta and the devastation of the natural environment by public-private partnerships between the Federal Government and the corporations involved in the production of oil in the Niger Delta. It is an organisation that is striving for the distribution of greater share of the country’s oil and to secure reparations from the Federal Government for the pollution that is caused by oil. It is the opinion of this writer that an organisation that makes legitimate demands for equitable distribution of resources does not deserve a clampdown, more so if it is peaceful. If there is any violence, such is localized and selective.

Third, the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) is a Yoruba nationalist organisation that focuses on disciplining erring citizens, effecting rectitude, and eradicating injustices. The OPC was formed when a group of Yoruba elite including Fredrick Fasehun, a medical doctor, a tried and tested old stager, resolved to form an organisation to actu-

alize the annulled mandate of Chief Moshood Abiola, who won the presidential election of June 12, 1993, but was barred from the office. Factionalised in 1999 by Ganiyu Adams, the same name endured till date. The OPC is the only group that carries out internal examinations to discipline ruthlessly its own defaulting members however highly placed.

Its uses of Yoruba traditional magic are unique, but devoid of arms and ammunitions in its operations. The group achieves its objectives by co-operating in esprit-de-corps in the extermination of crimes in the society.

Examples abound. Few years ago, at Ota, Ogun State, some OPC members helped to retrieve exPresident Olusegun Obasanjo’s generating plant from fleeing thieves at night. Chief Obasanjo was in office then. Also recently, The Guardian, May 31, 2013, reported that on May 29, there was a robbery attack on Fuji musician, Wasiu Alabi (Pasuma), in which his Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle was stolen. The president of OPC, Gani Adams, ordered his men to conduct comprehensive search for the recovery of the vehicle. OPC members are not angels, but they are performing useful services.

Could these laudable activities be compared with Boko Haram, the fourth organisation?

Boko Haram is a notorious terrorist organisation, meaning “Western education is sinful”. It is a Jihadist militant organisation whose stock-in trade is violence. It is a movement which strongly opposes man-made laws and Westernisation. It was founded in 2001 not only to establish sharia law in the country, but to exterminate Christianity by bombing churches. Boko Haram was founded as an indigenous group, turning itself into a jihadist group in 2009. It proposed that interaction with the Western world was forbidden. And it encouraged petulant criminal elements and disgruntled politicians as well to penetrate into its membership. Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, once described Boko Haram as “Bermuda Trian-

gle”.

Appeals that were made to the sect in the past were ignored. Such appeals went like water off a duck’s back, producing no effect. Prickly and irascible, the members attacked churches. The sect began its violence in 2009. On December 25, 2011, which was Christmas Day for Christians, St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State was attacked and 46 worshippers were massacred. These gory incidents continue to resonate.

Also, St. Rita’s Catholic Church was attacked, pretty indicating that Boko Haram is hell-bent on the Islamisation of Nigeria. In the same year, 2011, Police Headquarters and the UN buildings, Abuja, were attacked and 44 people were killed to lend international colour to Boko Haram. The notorious sect was not done yet with violence.

Adding insult to injury, Boko Haram’s peace call in November, 2012, included, inter alia, the conditions that “Peace talks must be held in Saudi Arabia, compensation must be given to the families of those who were killed in the course of its terrorists acts, and the re-building of its mosques by the Federal Government”. No consideration was given to Christians who were massacred during church services and the churches that were destroyed. How else to prove the group’s desire to Islamise the country? Which movement deserves clampdown now? Mr. President must not throw out the baby with the bath water.

Comparatively, the OPC, MASSOB and MEND are lilliputian and lily-livered Boys Scouts and Boys Brigade, unlike the militant Boko Haram, a terrorist gang which has assumed national and international levels of notoriety. Therefore, if there is any group to clamp-down upon, it is certainly the Boko Haram, and not the three others. President Jonathan ought to have a re-think.

• Oshisada, a veteran journalists, lives at Ikorodu, Lagos.

Aregbesola and the renaissance of Awoism

By Olumuyiwa Jimoh EADERSHIP is rooted in the society. The society is anchored on the Llivespeople.

The degree to which every act of leadership impacts the of the people therefore greatly determines the failure or success of that leadership exercise. It therefore becomes imperative that effective leaders must clearly at all times assess the needs of the people both futuristic and immediate pursuing passionately investments in these areas. Commitment to investing in the people becomes the symbol of great leaders.

The realisation that the greatest capital of any society remains its human resources ought to be a Leadership Eureka; an eye opener, actually a liberating light for any leader driven by the sole aim of service to his people. This directs his thoughts, crystalizes his policies and dictates his programmes and his projects as he comes to the lucid realisation that governance is not about building skyscrapers, roundabouts, flyovers etc but should be about mindfully pursuing the building of the capacities and capabilities of the citizenry.

Events in State of Osun have always enthralled me, thus have forced me to follow them with passion. The Rauf Aregbesola administration has shown and continued to show a classic understanding of what leadership ought to be – its meaning to her publics and what should propel it. He has avoided the path of the ignoble, the wellworn path of the nation’s political mediocre but has chosen to create the new and carve out niches for himself and the people of the State of Osun.

In Opon Imo, he has once again shown that foresight and uncommon attachment and commitment to the people State of Osun, investing heavily on its tomorrow, guaranteeing that the state will remain at the competitive edge of national development despite the lean resources available to it. He has clearly followed the well-tested advice; put your food, where your mouth is. He has demonstrated repeatedly his belief that the people of Osun State when adequately empowered will throw up the needed critical mass to leapfrog the state into greater levels of sustainable development.

Education remains the only vehicle for transmitting the culture – mores and norms of the society thus through it, the society recreates, reproduces and perpetuates itself. It is the empowerment that it brings through the unfettering of the mind and releasing the creative energies inherent in every person – child and adult that makes it the most potent tool for the advancement, transformation and development of the society. It is empowering as it builds depths of capacities within the individual and makes him a developmental agent on his own. Professor Samuel Huntington, a political scientist from Harvard, proclaimed in an article titled: “The Clash of Civilisa-

tion” that the fundamental sources of conflicts in this new world will not be ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating sources of conflict will be cultural. But with all the emphasis at my disposer, that with Opon Imo this Huntington views could be reformulated.

The import of this is that when a child is highly empowered through the provision of good access to high quality curriculum and appropriate instructional materials, the future of the child and that of the society is not only guaranteed, but capacities and capabilities for continuous socio-economic transformation becomes endemic and pervasive. This is what the Governor has tapped into. We may not see the result of this immediately but give it time and we shall begin to see the huge impact of Opo Imo as a project in the lives of the people of Osun.

That about 90,000 tablets have been provided for distribution to SS1 and SS2 students in public schools in the state and more is on the way is a statement of commitment and determination to serve.

It signposts the height of governance and sensitivity to the desires and aspirations of the people that voted the leadership into government.

Opon Imo, the tablet comes with electronic contents that satisfy all the requisite demands of the state education curriculum for teaching in all subjects for Senior Secondary Schools and more. I was told that it lends itself to constant review and upgrading electronically whenever the need arises.

This is ground breaking not only in Nigeria but throughout the globe as it provides the child access under one platform to all the instructional materials, contents and up to date syllabus. The child at the touch of a button can read all the text books required for his level of education without going through the drudgery of heavy bags, torn textbooks and notebooks etcetera. This is a one-stop repository of information that is key to the education of the child.

The benefits of this project cannot only be seen in its empowerment of the child but could also be seen in the immediate economic gains through the value chain that would be created in the process.

The multipliers would be such that an industry will immediately be created out of this giving employment to ICT experts, electronic engineers and the commercial activities that will ensue from this. It is a humongous investment that would serve as a catalyst spurring development in other sectors of the State’s economy. The prognosis is indeed cheery.

This has never happened anywhere before on this scale and I am indeed thrilled in no small measure that this could be happening in Nigeria and much more in a state driven by an administration that I have had cause in the past to have predicted that would be creative in its policy thrust and programme directions which will give other states in the federation a run for their money.

However, am I surprised? No! Clearly the Governor – Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has demonstrated the moral high ground of his antecedents. Anything less than these pacesetting projects and programmes would have been the surprise indeed.

Through this project, he has refused to follow the crowd of aberrant but prevalent behaviour amongst public officers in Nigeria and has pitched his tent with the people demonstrating in the process a principled stance that separates him and marks him as a man of integrity and honour. He has not only shown the desire to change lives, the ability to dream big dreams but has also shown the bent to take action that would lead to the desired changes in the lives of the people and the uncanny ability to make his dreams a reality.

The governor has once again given further credence to the fact that there is also a relationship between the Talk and the Walk. He has carried his ideals as an avowed comrade; a committed patriot and a man driven by an unflinching desire for the welfare of the citizenry from the struggles and preachments on the Streets to the corridors of power. He has shown that it is possible to acquire power for the common good and that it is very practical to translate sloganeering on the streets into action.

His achievements are worthy of celebration as it gives people like us the courage to continue making a difference wherever we find ourselves knowing that there is truly hope for the salvation of our nation if we can all play our diverse roles effectively and patriotically. It is a big boost to the ideological camp that bred him from where he cut his teeth as an avowed defender of the people and drank from the fountains of its various historic, vibrant and deep cisterns. It gives us the flip that our struggle will eventually impact positively the lives of Nigerians. He has clearly shown us these possibilities.

It is therefore exigent that we urge the amiable governor to remain focused on breaking further grounds never resting on his oars. This project I am completely persuaded is just one of the many laudable and trail-blazing projects that he has in the pipelines for the great people of Osun. He should not allow anything to stop this good work as indeed the opposition has truly gone into hiding this time.

As a parting word, we want to urge governors in other states of the federation to go to Osun State instead of trooping abroad to have a first hand experience on how best to impact the lives of their people.

Opon Imo is a good platform and whatever names other governors may choose to call it, we recommend that they should immediately emulate it. Aregbe has shown that he knows something about governance that others need to learn and thus remains at the cutting edge of governance and service delivery in Nigeria. This is what governance is all about and this is what it should be – constant and continuous investment in the people!

• Honourable Jimoh is a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Apapa II Constituency.

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Opinion Issues on transfer of labour cases (1)

By Hakeem Olaniyan HE 1999 Constitution was amended to T give effect to the inclusion of the National Industrial Court in the list of superior courts of record and the transfer to it of jurisdiction in all employment causes as opposed to the former position where its jurisdiction was not exclusive or extensive but was basically limited to trade disputes. Like the amendment done vide Decree No.107 of 1993, this amendment contained no abatement or transitional provision. The National Industrial Court Act like the Federal High Court Act has provision for transfer from and to both the Federal and State High Courts. What happens to cases pending in the State High Courts as at the date this amendment entered into force? State High Court judges, have, as in the past, been confused regarding whether to strike out these cases or to transfer them to the National Industrial Court.

The transfer option is alleged to be based on Section 24(3) of the National Industrial Act, which provides: Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any enactment or law, no cause or matter shall be struck out by the … High Court of a State…on the ground that such cause or matter was not brought in the appropriate court in which it ought to have been brought and the Court before whom such cause or matter is brought may cause such cause or matter to be transferred to the appropriate Judicial Division of the Court (that is, National Industrial Court) in accordance with such Rules of Court as may be in force in the High Court or made under any enactment or law empowering the making of Rules of Court generally which enactment or law shall by virtue of this subsection be deemed also to include the power to make Rules of Court for the purposes of this subsection.

The Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal endorsed the transfer option in the most re-

cent case of John & Ors v Igbo-Etiti Local Government Authority. In that case, the labour suit had been filed since 2002 but was yet to be tried when the third amendment entered into force. The trial judge had struck out the case and the plaintiffs had appealed on the ground that the proper thing to do was to transfer the case to the National Industrial Court. In allowing the appeal, the Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal per Okoro JCA at pages 14-15 paras H-A said: The clear and ordinary meaning of this first part is to save all suits filed in the Federal, State and Federal Capital Territory High Courts, which ordinarily ought to have been filed at the National Industrial Court. The intendment of the clear words used therein is that such a suit shall not be struck out by the High Courts aforementioned.

And to make the matter very clear, the section uses the word ‘shall’… My view is clearly that the provision insists that the suit must not be struck out by any of the courts listed therein before even if there is anything to the contrary in any enactment or law. I agree with the learned counsel for the appellants that ‘any enactment or law’ includes the High (Court Civil Procedure) Rules of Enugu State 2006. That is as it relates to the first part of the section of the enactment in focus.”

The motive or concern of the Court of Appeal is understandable. To strike out the case is to deny the Claimants fair hearing since they will be caught by limitation if they attempt to file a fresh suit in the National Industrial Court. However, it is not in the legal tradition to becloud interpretation of statutes or other legal sources with an ulterior motive, no matter how benevolent. It is not always that the law as it is, tallies with the law as it ought to be.

This is not the first time a Constitution or Constitutional Decree will be transferring jurisdiction from a state to a federal court without abatement or transfer provision. Section 24(3) of the National Industrial Court Act is in pari material with Section 22(3) of the Federal High Court Act, on which basis it had been

suggested in the past, when Decree No. 107 transferred jurisdiction in some causes hitherto vested in the State High Courts to the Federal High Court, that the option of transfer was open to the State High Courts. The reaction of the apex court to that suggestion was clear and succinct: A federal statute cannot dictate to a state court what procedure to follow, so, if the constitutional decree was silent and a statute is required to give effect to it with respect to state courts, that statute must be a state law.

In the case of Fasakin Foods (Nig.) Ltd v Shosanya, the Lagos High Court had transferred a case to the Federal High Court relying on Section 22 of the Federal High Court Act especially section 22(3) thereof. The Court of Appeal set aside the order of transfer and substituted for it the order of striking out. Upon appeal to the Supreme Court, the full court of the apex court unanimously confirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal. Niki Tobi JSC said: What is the purport of section 22(3) of the Federal High Court Act? It is a saving provision, so to say. It saves a matter duly and properly filed in a court of law from being struck out. Instead of striking out for lack of jurisdiction, section 22(3) vests in the High Court of a State the power to transfer the matter to the appropriate Judicial Division of the Federal High Court.

In the light of the practice and procedure provisions of section 233 and 2391 in relation to the Federal High Court and the High Court of a State respectively, I see section 22(3) of the Federal High Court Act, dictating to the Constitution what rule of court should be followed when a High Court of a State lacks jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. Is such a dictation emanating from a statute proper and acceptable to a Constitution? Is that consistent with the supremacy clause of section 1(3) of the 1979 Constitution? Why should a statute dictate terms for a constitution to follow? Is it not the reverse position that is consistent with section 1(3) of that Constitution? A few questions are still boiling

but I think I can stop here…

I have taken some pains to go through the relevant Civil Procedure Rules of the High Court of Lagos State and I cannot place my hands on any rule vesting in a judge of the High Court power to transfer a matter to the Federal High Court. I do hope I am correct in saying that a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State can only apply the rules of court of the High Court. I do not think a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State can leave the enabling rules of his court and flirt with those of the Federal High Court by applying them. That is not correct. That is not right. That is wrong.

The Fasakin case was not cited to the Court of Appeal. As a Supreme Court decision, there is no gainsaying the fact that it is binding on the Court of Appeal. It is therefore correct to say that this Court of Appeal decision was given per incuriam.

At any rate, the wording of Section 24(3) of the National Industrial Court Act, like that of Section 22(3) of the Federal High Court Act, is clear and plain. The subsection still requires that a rule of the transferring court must be in place to permit or regulate the transfer. It only offers the subsection as a perfect excuse for making such rules if none existed hitherto. So, even if one were to ignore the Constitution, the transfer provision is at best inchoate as far as State High Courts are concerned until Rules of the State High Courts are made by the appropriate authority to regulate the matter.

• To be continued.

• Olaniyan, Barrister at Law, is Senior Lecturer and Ag. Head, Dept. of Jurisprudence and International Law, University of Lagos, Akoka.

The mastery of men

By Eric Teniola HE military expedition going on in Yobe, Adamawa and T Borno states, misnamed declaration of emergency, reminds me of what happened in America in 1910.

The story was better illustrated by the bestseller author, Robert Greene in his book titled “48 laws of Power” on pages 301 and 302 of his 492 page book where he gave a narration of the events of the crisis.

The Mexican rebel leader, Pancho Villa started out as the chief of a gang of bandits, but after revolution broke in Mexico in 1910, he became a kind of folk hero – robbing trains and giving the money to the poor, leading daring raids, and charming the ladies with romantic escapades. His exploits fascinated Americans. He seemed a man from another era, part Robin Hood, part Don Juan. After a few years of bitter fighting, however, General Carranza emerged as the victor in the revolution; the defeated Villa and his troops went back home, to the northern state of Chihuahua. His army dwindled and he turned to banditry again, damaging his popularity. Finally, perhaps out of desperation, he began to rail against the United States, the gringos, whom he blamed for his troubles.

In March of 1916, Panco Villa raided Columbus, New Mexico.

Rampaging through the town, he and his gang killed 17 American soldiers and civilians. President Woodrow Wilson, like many Americans, had admired Villa; now, however, the bandit needed to be punished. Wilson’s advisers urged him to send troops into Mexico to capture Villa. For a power as large as the United States, they argued, not to strike back at an army that had invaded its territory would send the worst kind of signal.

Furthermore, they continued, many Americans saw Wilson as pacifist, a principle the public doubted as a response to violence; he needed to prove his mettle and manliness by ordering the use of force.

The pressure on Wilson was strong, and before the month

was out, with the approval of the Carranza government, he sent an army of 10,000 soldiers to capture Pancho Villa. The venture was called the Punitive Expedition, and its leader was the dashing General John J. Pershing, who had defeated guerrillas in the Philippines and Native Americans in the American Southwest. Certainly Pershing could find and overpower Pancho Villa.

The Punitive Expedition became a sensational story, and carloads of U.S. reporters followed Pershing into action. The campaign, they wrote, would be a test of American Power. The soldiers carried the latest in weaponry, communicated by radio, and were supported by reconnaissance from the air.

In the first few months, the troops split up into small units to comb the wild of Mexico. The Americans offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Villa’s capture. But the Mexican people, who had been disillusioned with Villa when he had returned to banditry, now idolised him for facing this mighty American army. They began to give Pershing false leads: Villa had been seen in this village, or in that mountain hideaway, airplanes would be dispatched, troops would scurry after them, and no one would ever see him. The wily bandit seemed to be always one step ahead of the American military.

By the summer of that year, the expedition had swelled to 123,000 men. They suffered through the stultifying heat, the mosquitoes, and the wild terrain. Trudging over a countryside in which they were already resented, they infuriated both the local and the Mexican government. At one point, Pancho Villa hid in a mountain cave to recover from a gunshot wound he received in a skirmish with the Mexican Army; looking down from his aerie, he could watch Pershing lead the exhausted American troops back and forth across the mountain, never getting any closer to their goal.

All the way into winter, Villa played his cat-and-mouse game.

Americans came to see the affair as a kind of slapstick farce – in fact they began to admire Villa again, respecting his re-

sourcefulness in eluding a superior force. In January 1917, Wilson finally ordered Pershing’s withdrawal. As the troops made their way back to American territory, rebel forces pursued them, forcing the U.S. Army to use airplanes to protect its rear flanks. The Punitive Expedition was being punished itself-it had turned into a retreat of the most humiliating sort.

Woodrow Wilson organised the Punitive Expedition as a show of force: He would teach Pancho Villa a lesson and in the process show the world that no one, large or small, could attack the Mighty United States and get away with it. The expedition would be over in a few weeks, and Villa would be forgotten.

That was not how it played out. The longer the longer expedition took, the more it focused attention on the Americans’ incompetence and on Villa’s cleverness. Soon what was forgotten was not Villa but the raid that had started it all. As a minor annoyance became an international embarrassment, and the enraged Americans dispatched more troops, the imbalance between the size of the pursuer and the size of the pursued – who still managed to stay free – made the affair a joke. And in the end this white elephant of an army had to lumber out of Mexico, humiliated. The Punitive Expedition did the opposite of what it set out to do: It left Villa not only free but more popular than ever.

In his book, “Hand book of proverbs” Henry George Bohn (1796-1884) wrote “anger begins with folly and ends with repentance.”

In war, there are no winners.

In his words (Lao-Tsu,Tao The King): “The best soldier does not attack. The superior fighter succeeds without violence.

The greatest conqueror wins without struggle. The most successful manager leads without dictating. This is called intelligent non-aggressiveness. This is called mastery of men.

• Teniola, a former Director at the Presidency, now lives in Lagos.

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Media Boosting media’s capacity for campaign against impunity Training

By Gbenga Salau NEof the critical tasks of the media is to O watchdog the society, especially those charged with the responsibility of governance.

And if any community is not getting its priority right, leadership is often said to be the problem.

But where leaders tend to be careless about those they are leading, the media as one of the agents of society is expected to provide that check.

Nigeria is a country blessed with enormous wealth and resources, natural or human. Yet, it has not been used to better the lots of its average citizens. This, to some, is a product of impunity tendencies among those who called themselves leaders in various strata of the society.

To check the trend of impunity, a body, Stop Impunity in Nigeria, (SIN) has emerged to campaign against all impunity tendencies within the nation. To make the campaign a success, the group, which is formed by some non-governmental organisations, is collaborating with some institutions and the media.

And to help media practitioners understand and renew its commitment to spotlight issues of impunity, SIN organised a one-day training for some journalists in Asaba, Delta State recently.

According to the organizers, the campaign is borne out of a realization that Nigeria’s development challenges are in a large measure the direct result of a culture of impunity, which has gradually taken root in all sectors of the society over several decades.

It is argued that impunity has continued to fuel corruption by both government officials and ordinary citizens while diminishing the capacity of the government to govern.

At the training, various issues were looked at.

The Executive Director, Community Life Project (CLP), Ngozi Iwere gave the opening remarks explaining the reasons the SIN campaign is important. Thereafter, the Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Mr. Edetaen Ojo interacted with the participants on their expectations. Iwere took the floor again and she spoke on understanding impunity. The MRA boss was then invited again to speak on responsibility of media to cover cases and issues of impunity; why the media is a critical tool in combating impunity and the obstacles to effective coverage of impunity and strategies for overcoming them.

Each of the presentations by the facilitators was interactive. In her paper, Iwere gave the different definitions of impunity by scholars. She related the different definitions to daily life issues including spotlighting key words present in all the definitions. She disclosed that in implementing the campaign, five key strategies of training, research, media campaign, advocacy and documentation, would be deployed.

“Although impunity has become pervasive and entrenched in Nigeria, the campaign seeks to focus on four critical thematic areas, namely public finance management, rule of law, electoral process and patriotism, ethics and civil responsibility, by highlighting instances of impunity and its consequences in each of these areas.”

Ojo, speaking on why it is the media’s business to cover cases and issues of impunity, said that the media has the social and legal responsibilities to do that. According to him, the responsibilities can be drawn from three sources; the social responsibility theory of the media, the 1999 constitution and international instruments. It has a duty or obligation to devote time and space to the articulation of the relevant issues as part of its social and legal responsibilities of informing and educating members of the public.

“The media has certain social responsibilities to society. For this reason, the media enjoys special protection under the Constitution, as well as under various regional and international human rights instruments. These instruments provide guarantees of media freedom and free-

Participants at the workshop dom of expression to media practitioners and media organizations. “The protection and guarantees derive from the recognition that the media play a special role in society with their responsibility to inform, to entertain and to educate members of the public. “In order words, because the media serve a public interest function, society needs to protect them to ensure that they are able to continue to function effectively without hindrance.

“Since the media enjoy special protection in recognition of their public interest function, it follows that for them to continue to claim and enjoy such protection, they must continue to perform this public service. The media can best perform this public service by championing the interests of the larger public and the entire society.”

He also noted that Article 12 of the Code of Ethics

for Nigerian journalists also commit media professionals to demonstrate ‘social responsibility’.

On how the 1999 constitution empowers the media to check impunity, he quoted copiously sections of the constitution that authorize the media.

“Over 50 years ago, the UN Economic and Social Council, at its 29th Session, adopted a declaration wherein it outlined the role of the media of information in society.

“In its Resolution 756 of 21 April 1960, the UN Economic and Social Council declared that the “Media of information should be employed in the service of the people…

“Subsequent international instruments have built on this important role of the media in the service of humanity in many spheres of life, including in the areas of corruption, good governance, development, human rights, among oth-

ers.

“In the light of these, does anyone have any doubt that, as media professionals and practitioners, we have a responsibility to expose corruption, cases of impunity, abuses of human rights, violations of the rule of law?”

Arguing that there is no single institution, agency, or sector of the society that can successfully combat impunity on its own, Ojo said this is why it must be a collective effort. He however noted that the media is critical because it’s the tool in the process for the entire society to be involved in the campaign against impunity, apart from the citizens must be aware of what impunity is as well as how it affects their social lives and economic well-being, they must be mobilized to act against impunity or insist that action be taken against impunity.

And the media is a good tool to keep the people abreast about issues and mobilize the citizens for actions to be taken against impunity. “The media is an important tool for combating a lot of social ills, including impunity. The media has the greatest capacity to reach masses of people and provide them with reliable information about all manner of issues. Media channels are more effective than other avenues in getting reliable information into the social system quickly. They are the fastest means of disseminating reliable information to a large number of people.”

He also stated that the media is a critical tool because it has the power to set agenda for public policy makers and influence and shape public opinion.

“The media can be used to influence government decisions and policies on a wide variety of issues.

The media can also force government to take action on a wide variety of matters.

“These include economic, social, political, cultural and other matters. In this way, the media sets agendas for policy-makers.

“As a result of its great capacity to reach mass of people, when used strategically, media can very easily be used to influence the thought processes and opinions of the people.

“By setting the agenda and mobilizing public opinion around it, the media can force the government or policy makers to put in place appropriate policies and measures required to combat impunity effectively.

“People who engage in acts of impunity fear exposure, especially when there are sanctions mechanisms that can be applied against them.

They will only do it if they believe they can get away with it. But through investigative and other forms of journalism, the media can expose impunity, consistently focus the searchlight on cases of impunity and ensure that action is taken.”

He stated that if the media consistently exposes impunity and ensures that action is taken, then people would begin to realize that they will be exposed and that they can no longer get away with breaking the law.

The project, Stop Impunity Nigeria is a collaborative campaign initiated by four civil society organizations; Human Development Initiatives, Media Rights Agenda, Community Life Project and the Centre for Social Justice.

Meanwhile, the body has expressed “serious concern” about the controversy generated by the election of the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), which took place recently.

Entries open for 2013 Online Journalism Awards HE Online News Association, an T organisation of digital journalists, and the University of Miami’s School of Communication has invited entries for the 2013 Online Journalism Awards (OJAs).

The award is open to work published between June 16, 2012, and June 15, 2013. Applicants are invited to submit their work on journalists.org until Friday, June 21,

2013.

In a release made available to The Guardian, nine of the 29 awards come with a total of $37,500 in prize money, courtesy of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Gannett Foundation, including a new $5,000 award honoring the best in Watchdog Journalism.

Also, this year, OJAs has been

slightly modified to keep up with the rapidly evolving industry, as non-English entries will be considered in all categories.

“Some say journalism is in trouble, but we think these awards show the opposite is true,” said OJA Chair, Joshua Hatch, who is also Senior Editor for Data and Interactives at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“When we look at what’s happen-

ing on digital platforms — from the creation of new user experiences to the power small organizations have in reaching large audiences through their important work — we’re thrilled by what we see. And now that all of our awards are open to entrants of all languages, we can’t wait to discover even more innovative work and share it with our community.”

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GOtv signal… live in Owerri From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri PURRED by successful launches in Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Enugu, Benin City and Aba, the new DTT (digital terrestrial television) service, GOtv has expanded its operational base with the flag-off of its service in Owerri, capital city of Imo State. The service was launched at the All Seasons Hotel, Owerri last Saturday.

GOtv provides television lovers with a digital quality picture and sound and an exciting line up of local and international channels. With its bouquet, subscribers will have access to an exciting selection of channels containing news, children’s programming, documentaries, series and movies which are carefully selected to cater for a variety of different tastes and family viewing needs at a very affordable price.

Channels in its lineup include AfricaMagic, AfricaMagic Movies, AfricaMagic World, AfricaMagic Yoruba, AfricaMagic Hausa, E! Entertainment, Discovery World, eTV Africa, Vox Africa, Select Sports, Al Jazeera and CNN, Channel O, MTV Base, Disney Junior, Nickelodeon, Kidsco, Islam Channel, One Gospel, Sound City and Black Belt TV which gives families a great selection. Plus, GOtv will also add two channels; M-Net Movies Zone and SuperSport Select 2 on June 11.

Launched by Details Nigeria in association with MultiChoice Nigeria, GOtv utilizes the DVB-T2 technology standard, which allows for no less than 21 channels per frequency, this is different from other first generation standard DVB-T1, which only allow for up to 13 channels per frequency. Thus, there is a dramatic improvement on the dividend of terrestrial frequencies available when DVB-T2 is deployed.

Owerri residents are now set to benefit from easy access to an increased number of channels, with enhanced picture and sound quality synonymous with digital television at a price they can afford.

Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa, General Manager of GOtv says that the brand provides great family entertainment at a prize that everyone can afford: “GOtv is the best value for money pay television offering on DTT in Nigeria and it comes with a broad selection of local channels made in Africa for Africans “ She says that GOtv is delivered to homes in Nigerian via the use of the latest DVB-T2 technology which guarantees a one-off migration to the digital age: “With the use of DVB-T2 technology, GOtv gives subscribers a dramatic improvement on the dividend of terrestrial frequencies. With GOtv, Nigerians can experience the digital television revolution in the comfort of their homes because GOtv delivers a selection of exciting channels in great picture and sound quality.”

GOtv service is offered via two bouquets - GOtv Plus, which has a total of 35 channels and GOtv, which has a total of 27 world-class local and international channels. At launch in Owerri, the Complete GOtv System would be available at a special introductory price inclusive of three months GOtv Plus subscription in addition to a GOtenna (outdoor antenna).

S

General Manager, Trade and Distribution, MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. Akinola Salu (left); General Manager, GOtv, Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa; Head, Public Relations, MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. Segun Fayose, and MultiChoice Nigeria Super Dealer in Owerri, Mr. Paul Ezenwa, during the launch of GOtv in Owerri, Imo State at the weekend Subscribers are encouraged to make use of the outside antennae: “We encourage subscribers to take advantage of the GOtenna that is provided to ensure increased signal strength and better protection against mobile phone and car interference,” urged Mrs. Amkpa, adding, “with GOtenna customers should expect uninterrupted viewing and excellent picture quality, especially in areas where the signal is too low for indoor antenna reception.”

As a digital pay television service designed to cater for all television households in Nigeria, GOtv was launched, last year, by Details Nigeria in association with MultiChoice Nigeria to ensure that great affordable digital TV is accessible to everyone. The new television device is in line with the on-going transition from analogue to digital TV broadcasting. It is codenamed Digital Terrestrial Television (or Transmission), DTT. It refers to the broadcasting of terrestrial television in a digital format. Currently, terrestrial broadcasting in most African countries is in an analogue format. Most countries are in the process of planning and implementing the transition from analogue to digital television.

Terrestrial television uses a network of transmission towers to relay the signal across the country. Each transmission tower has a specif-

Aspire… in-house magazine from Lexcel Group

L

EXCEL Group, the parent company of Grand Oak, Nigeria Distilleries Limited and others has launched an in-house publication known as Aspire as a medium to showcase the giant strides achieved by its subsidiaries over the years.

The maiden edition of all coloured–glossy Aspire magazine was unveiled to the audience and members of the companies at a cocktail event held recently at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Editor of the magazine and Category Manager of Grand Oak Limited, Mr. Charles Nnochiri said the publication is to inform the general public of the accomplishments of the companies under Lexcel Group in their quests to attaining world-class status.

He added that “Through this medium, we hope to keep everyone informed on the happenings in our individual companies and to ensure that the strong resilient spirit of oneness we advocate with our slogan – Together we win-

is sustained.

“I am sure a lot of you will ask why Aspiration? Positive aspiration is what keeps the world going. Growth comes from desire, especially for something great or of a high value. Therefore, this magazine is a call to action designed to spur every reader to that next, higher phase.”

Nnochiri said that the Aspire magazine has replaced the old Seaman’s News, which was formerly known as the in-house magazine of Nigeria Distilleries Limited.

Lexcel Group is a conglomerate in the country, which operates in manufacturing, marketing and management services with over three thousand employees.

Its manufacturing industries cover all types of wines and spirits, non-alcoholic beverages, alcohol, agro allied products, plastic components and clean energy.

The marketing company sells and markets different FMCG products of own com-

panies and also of others. Its management services wing provides advanced management consultancy for own companies and others.

ic area of coverage, and it is the network of coverage that provides television signals across the country. The broadcast signal is sent to the various towers and if you are within the area covered by a tower, then you will be able to receive the broadcast services via a terrestrial aerial (GOtenna), which is usually placed on your roof or on your television set (depending on how strong the signal that you are receiving is). The technology is an improvement over TV signal transmission via satellite known as DTH (Direct-to-Home) service.

Since 2007 when campaign for digitization commenced in Nigeria, two key players: GOtv and StarTime have surfaced to experiment the new global trend institutionalized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Both platforms are largely run by private enterprises, except that StarTime is in collaboration with Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Globally, June 17, 2015 has been fixed as dead-

line for all countries of the world to perfect their switch-over from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting. Nigeria’s march towards this deadline has been fraught with policy delay and lack of commitment on the part of government functionaries.

Initially, June 17, 2012 was set aside as switchover date in Nigeria, and to accomplish this, a Presidential Advisory Committee on Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting was inaugurated in 2008; the committee submitted its report in June 2009, but nothing happened on the report until April 2012 when federal government came up with what it tagged ‘white paper’ that was expected to lay out policies that would drive the digitization process. It took another eight months, December 20, 2012 precisely, before the team that would drive the policies enunciated in the White Paper was set up. A new date of January 17, 2015 has since been set up as new deadline to wrap up the digitization in Nigeria.

A fillip for Simply Gifts

By Gbenga Salau O serve its teaming customers through better visibility and reach, Simply Gifts and Interiors, has relocated from Lekki Area of Lagos to Victoria Island.

At the unveiling of the new office in Lagos last week, the

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Managing Director of the company, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwuke, who took guests and customers around the duplex building stocked with new arrivals of sample gifts items, said that the relocation was due to the need to get stocked with variety of products thereby providing

Mr. Okey Nwuke; the MD of Simply Gifts and Interiors, Mrs Ifeoma Nwuke; Mrs Ifeoma Ajogwu and her husband Dr. Fabian Ajogwu SAN, during the unveiling of the centre

customers with good product options.

Giving an insight to how she started, she said, “I started doing this for friends and family at no cost. But a friend told me that this thing am doing that I can charge a fee for it and I explored the idea and little by little, people were happy to pay for it.”

According to her, to be better technically and equipped for the task, she decided to do a course on the field “We started as Simply gift.

The place was getting smaller by the day as we were doing bigger things. So there was a need for a bigger location. It is more like a dream come through. We hope to grow bigger and extend our shops.”

She also said that despite the challenges, she had kept to the field because she loves collecting and beautiful spaces. “I like coming to a hall and feeling relax.”

Commenting on what services the company can provide, she said, “We box anything as we can transform anything into a special gift.

We started small but as we provided better services clients kept coming.”

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

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Sports Countdown To Namibia, Nigeria World Cup Qualifier

Be good ambassadors, MTN tells US, Canada-bound footballers

NFF sure of Eagles’ victory in Windhoek, denies rift with players From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja HE Super Eagles are primed to defeat Namibia when they clash in a Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier on Wednesday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has assured.

The NFF, which at the weekend denied reports that there were rifts between the federation and the Super Eagles’ players and officials over the bonus paid to them for the Brazil 2014 away qualifier victory over the Harambee Stars, said it has done everything possible to ensure victory for Nigeria in the game.

There were reports that the players rejected the $5,000 winning bonus paid to them after the win, insisting that the federation must revert to the $10, 000 paid to them as winning bonus since the 2010 World Cup and up to the last Nations Cup. The NFF had at the end of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa announced its decision to review the team’s bonuses in line with the ‘poor’ state of its finance.

NFF Secretary General, Musa Amadu, at the weekend told journalists that the Eagles were on course to pick their second consecutive World Cup ticket, adding that reports of a rift was a distraction that would not harm the team

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He disclosed that the players got the new bonus of $5, 000, which the federation had earlier communicated to them, adding that the NFF still paid the highest bonuses in Africa even with the new reward regime.

“We have to de-emphasise some of these things and concentrate on the most important thing, which is qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, as well as to do well at the Confederations Cup. “This is because we still have some strong games, including the Confederations Cup first round matches against Tahiti, Uruguay and Spain.

And the team is really focused on qualifying for the World Cup,” he stated.

On the Super Eagles slide in the FIFA rankings, the NFF scribe played down the team’s 31st position, saying, “I have always said that we should take these things one step at a time.

“Last year around this time we were almost ranked 62nd in the world, this year we have slashed that by half.

“I don’t know how the rankings are done because I don’t think we have lost any competitive match under Keshi.

The team is consistent and getting better and you could see the way we handled the match against Kenya in Nairobi.

Relays/CAA Golden Prix fever grips Warri UST a few weeks after hosting the maiden Africa Youth Athletics Championship, Warri will once again draw the world’s attention when it hosts the 2013 Relays/Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Golden Grand Prix.

The one-day competition is a premium event in the CAA calendar, which has such ‘A’ grade events as the Men 100 metres, and 400 metres races.

For the women, there are the 100m, 400m, and 400m Hurdles, while the classic events for Men include 5000m, Javelin, and Long Jump.

There are also the women100 metres Hurdles, High Jump, Long Jump events to be competed for.

Apart from the premium and classic events, there are also such promotional events as the 110m hurdles, 3000m Steeple Chase, 4x100m & 4x400m for men and the women 800m, 5000m, 4x100m & 4x400m.

While competitions for positions in the individual events will be stiff because of the juicy prize money for top finishers, the relay events will be more competitive as it provides opportunities for countries that have not qualified

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for the relay events of the 2013 World Championships in Athletics slated for Russia to qualify.

Head of Communications and Media of Athletics Federation Nigeria (AFN), Olukayode Thomas, told newsmen that athletes from USA, Great Britain, Ghana, Morocco and other parts of the world will start arriving Nigeria from tomorrow to participate in the CAA premium event.

By Tony Nwanne SIDE reading their books A for good grades in their new schools, telecommuni-

Jamaican athlete, Usain Bolt (right), hands over the Musketeers trophy to Rafael Nadal, who won the 2013 French Open final at the Roland Garros Stadium, Paris…yesterday.

PHOTO: AFP.

cations outfit, MTN, has also charged the young footballers going to United States and Canadian schools to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.

The footballers are winners of the MTN Football Scholars programme, which aims at empowering young skillful Nigerians to study in good universities overseas as well as hone their football talents under tested coaches.

Speaking during a send forth dinner organised for the successful candidates, who are leaving for various US and Canadian Universities this September at the Victoria Crown Hotel, in Victoria Island, Lagos on Saturday, MTN’s Senior Manager, Consumer Marketing, Saidat Mohammed-Lawal, said, “at MTN, we realise that people have passions for different things, that is why we support music and sports.

“With MTN Football Scholar we have decided to support the passion of teeming Nigerian youths, that is why we are supporting their education careers through their passion, which is football’’.

Ahead World Cricket League

NCF plans London training tour for Team Nigeria

By Christian Okpara HE Nigeria Cricket T Federation (NCF) has revealed that the national team would soon begin a tour of London to train and play some exhibition games in preparation for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League (WCL) Division Six play-off, scheduled to hold next month in Jersey, an island off the coast of the United Kingdom.

According to the NCF, the tour will hold from July 6 to 18 with matches against four different clubs, before the team departs for the

world league, which holds from July 21 to 28.

The national team, comprising 16 players, yesterday met Cricket Club Abuja (CCA) in an inaugural match to commemorate their arrival in the Federal capital, where they would be in closed camping under the guidance of Technical Director and Team Manager, Olisa Egwuatu, and Coach Uthe Ugbimi before jetting out to London.

The game against the Abuja club was yet to be rounded off at the time of filing this report.

NCF President, Emeka

Onyeama, said yesterday that “the game in Abuja opened a phase of serious preparations ahead of the world cricket tournament and the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdulahi, has shown keen interest in our programmes.”

He disclosed that the London playing tour of the national cricket team is being sponsored by a former NCF president, Dr. John Abebe.

“Just before I assume office, we (Under-19 national cricket team) came back from Uganda where we moved from the seventh position to the sixth in

Africa.

“Our major priority right now is to create awareness that cricket is played in Nigeria and has come to stay. We have a pillar in Dr. John Abebe, a former president of the cricket federation and a lifetime award winner of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“Just a few days ago, Mr. President (Goodluck Jonathan) launched the Rhythm and Play initiative, which is a grassroots sports programme for children.

The message is that sport could be a vibrant economy in this country given all the necessary encouragements’’.

Super Nadal wins eight French Open title E is back. Rafael Nadal, H who in recent seasons had struggled to cope with the demands of the game following a spate of injuries, yesterday announced his complete return to his lair, the hard court of Roland Garros, where he coped with an oncourt intruder and the Paris rain to beat fellow Spaniard, David Ferrer, on his way to a record eighth French Open title.

Nadal, 27, came through 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to reaffirm his dominance on clay, and further elevate himself among the greats of the sport.

However, the final was

marred by a brief protest high in the stands during the second set that was quickly followed by an intruder leaping onto the court while brandishing a flare.

Security guards managed to bundle the man to the ground as he approached Nadal, and the player even took care to shake an official’s hand before returning to the action.

Nadal immediately dropped his serve, but within an hour he had wrapped up the victory that makes him the first man to win a Grand Slam singles tournament eight times.

His 59th match win also

takes him past Roger Federer and Guillermo Vilas at Roland Garros, while his 12th major title moves him above Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver on the all-time list.

Ferrer, playing in his first major final at the age of 31, was a worthy adversary and pushed his compatriot harder than the score might suggest, but he never threatened an upset.

Both men appeared edgy in the early stages, with breaks of serve exchanged in games three and four, but Nadal fired a brilliant cross-court backhand winner to move ahead again at 4-3 and took

the set with a third break.

Ferrer was making his illustrious compatriot work for his service games and missed an early chance in the second set, before Nadal made him pay with a forehand winner for 2-0.

A routine afternoon looked on the cards, but the calm was shattered by chanting from protesters with a banner in the upper tier of the stands during the sixth game of the set.

The players paused while the incident was dealt with only for another, potentially more serious, disturbance to follow before the next game

when a shirtless man wearing a mask vaulted the flower bed surrounding the court, waving a burning flare above his head.

When play resumed, two unsurprisingly distracted service games followed, but Nadal moved two sets clear and looked razor sharp again when a volley put him 2-0 ahead in the third.

The increasingly heavy rain now appeared the biggest threat to his ambitions, but Ferrer was not done and got back on level terms before blowing an opportunity to move ahead with a backhand error at 3-3.

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

75

Williams

French Open victory sets Williams chasing after Federer’s record ERENA Williams has extra Sgrand motivation to win her 17th slam singles title at Wimbledon. And if that comes to pass, she would equal Roger Federer’s record.

The American reached 16 with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Maria Sharapova in the French Open final on Saturday, ending her 11-year wait for a second title at Roland Garros.

Williams remains two slam titles behind Chris Evert and Martina

Navratilova, who are her next targets on the all-time women’s list.

Of current players, only Federer, who leads the men’s list with 17, is ahead of her, and that may not be the case for much longer.

The pair both turn 32 later this year, but while Federer’s powers appear to be waning, Williams has never been more dominant, winning three of the last four grand slams and only losing three singles matches in the last 12

months.

The 31-year-old thought she had already drawn level with Federer courtesy of her victory in Paris, and now has her sights set on a sixth Wimbledon title.

She said: “I thought Roger had 16 but he has 17, so I was like, ‘Honestly Roger, you have to win this much’. I guess he does and I’m happy for him obviously. It just keeps me going. It would be cool if I could be even with him.

“How awesome would it be if I could do it at Wimbledon.

But the competition’s really tough. It’s not going to be easy for me. I’m going to have to get really serious about my game and be really focused to ever catch Roger Federer.”

Williams has had more downs than ups in Paris, from being jeered in 2003 to last year’s shock first-round defeat, but this year has been overwhelmingly positive.

She is coached

by Frenchman Patrick Mouratoglou and has an apartment in Paris, and has earned the support of the tough Roland

Garros crowd by speaking French in her on-court interviews.

Williams believes feeling so at home in Paris has helped her regain the title after such a gap, saying: “I think so.

“If anything it’s helped me win the crowd because I really love it here. The city is so pretty. You look at the Eiffel Tower and it feels surreal, you see it on television but now I see it every day. It’s really cool.”

Paris was already a special place for Williams because she won her first WTA Tour title in the city in 1999, beating Amelie Mauresmo in the final.

“I don’t know if I could say I was more happy then, but when you win your first title, and I won it 7-6 in the third, so honestly I was so happy,” she said.

“All my life I’d dreamed of winning a WTA title so it was a great moment.

Obviously winning grand slams is more exciting but both moments are really outstanding for me.”

Williams is not about to become a full-time Parisian any time soon, though, saying: “I’m the most American person you’ll meet.

“I didn’t realise that until I was in France. Everyone’s like, ‘You’re so American,’ and I’m like, ‘Really?’ You can spot me a mile away, that’s

the American. I’m definitely most comfortable in Palm Beach.”

While Williams will head home to Florida before crossing the Atlantic again for Wimbledon, Sharapova must put behind her the disappointment of losing her title and a 13th consecutive defeat by Williams.

Not since 2004 has the Russian got the better of the other titan of the women’s game, but she feels she is getting closer, taking a set off Williams in Miami in March and pushing her close on Saturday.

“I can sit here and say that I feel like I’m moving in the right direction in terms of when I’m playing against her,” said Sharapova.

“Some of the results against her last year were not so good. But the match in Miami and the match here, I think I’m doing a few more right things than maybe I have done in the past, yet obviously not consistent enough.”

Sharapova will hope Williams winning the French Open after such a long gap can be a good omen for her at Wimbledon. Since winning her first grand slam title as a 17-year-old in 2004, the Russian has managed only one semi-final and one final at SW19.

She heads to London in decent spirits, saying: “Getting to the Roland Garros final is not too shabby, so I’d say that’s a positive.

“Coming back as a defending champion, I know it’s never easy to come back with that title, so I’m happy that I was able to produce good tennis within these last two weeks and come to that stage.

“We still have a long summer ahead of us. A lot of some of my favourite tournaments are coming up.

There is a lot to look forward to, definitely.”

THE GUArDIAn, Monday, June 10, 2013

76 SPOrTS

European Round-Off

Schweinsteiger ‘hungrier than ever’ AYErn Munich midfieldB er, Bastian Schweinsteiger remains “hungrier than ever” for success after completing a bumper treble-winning campaign with the Bundesliga club.

The 28-year-old Germany international was a key figure in the Bayern squad which claimed the league, DFB-Pokal and champions League trophies.

Schweinsteiger, who has spent his whole senior career with the Bavarian club, knows the arrival of new coach Pep Guardiola heralds another new chapter.

Pictured with the 13 trophies he has won in his career, Schweinsteiger told Germany’s Bild am Sonntag

newspaper: “To see them all grouped together is really, really nice - it makes me hungrier than ever.

“My title hunger has increased by winning the title, not decreased.

“It is certainly very good for the self-confidence. We will go into the new season with our heads held high.

“We have a world-class coach arriving and I’m definitely excited, but we start all over again under Pep Guardiola and the past counts for little.”

Schweinsteiger also suggested that one successful season, coming as it did three years after Bayern last picked up a trophy, does not mean they are the best side

in Europe.

“In my eyes, Barcelona are still number one in Europe,” he said, in spite of Bayern’s 70 aggregate victory over the catalans in the semi-finals of the champions League.

“They have been incredibly consistent in Europe for the past six years. We cannot claim just after winning one big title that we are now number one in Europe.”

Schweinsteiger did reveal that missing out in the European final to chelsea a year ago, especially on home soil, provided the spark which ignited such a successful last 12 months.

“I can still remember all of the sad faces of the players in the dressing room,” he said.

Mourinho has damaged Spanish football, says Iniesta nDrES Iniesta is the latest comment this week on when the Spain international A Barcelona star to have Mourinho’s conduct while at criticized the former’s deciharsh words for former real the Bernabeu. sion to continuously overMadrid boss Jose Mourinho, accusing him of harming the image of Spanish football.

Mourinho left Los Blancos three years before his contract was due to expire after a trophy-less season beset by infighting and controversy before returning to his former club chelsea.

Speaking in an interview in Sunday’s edition of El Pais, Iniesta heavily criticized Mourinho and the legacy he left at real Madrid. He joins Xavi and Gerard Pique as the latest Barcelona players to

“You just have to look at the facts,” Iniesta said.

“Yes he damaged Spanish football, in general more harm than good.

“But I don’t like talking about that person at all. So if you don’t mind we’ll leave it at that.”

Mourinho and Iniesta have previously feuded in the media earlier this season

look goalkeeper Iker casillas.

Mourinho responded with a jibe at Barcelona’s reliance on Lionel Messi.( ( “[Iniesta] can think what he likes, but I would say to him that without Messi his team is so different and that is why they did what they did in the semifinals of the champions League,” Mourinho said at the time.

Thiago eager to have Rooney at Monaco ArIS St Germain defender, P Thiago Silva would welcome the arrival of

Schweinsteiger

I’m still special, Mourinho insists OSE Mourinho claims you Jconsidered have to be a winner to be “special” and feels he fits that mould as he returns to chelsea.

The Portuguese coach is preparing for a second stint at the Stamford Bridge helm six years after an initial trophy-laden spell in London came to a close.

Since leaving English shores, Mourinho has landed league titles in Italy and Spain and tasted champions League glory with Inter Milan.

Things did not work out as planned during three years at real Madrid, resulting in

Abidal eyes Guardiola reunion at Bayern

his exit from the Bernabeu, but the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ insists he is still on top of his game as he readies himself for another shot at the Premier League.

Mourinho told The Sun: “The expression is mine, that’s obvious. When I arrived at chelsea I said I was special because I had won the champions League with Porto.

“To be a champion, it’s necessary to have a special talent.

“Being special is working to the maximum of your ability and motivation, being good with yourself in all the challenges you’ve got. And, if possible, winning and being successful many times.

“You’re not special if you

rIc Abidal says he wants to E sign for Bayern Munich and that Pep Guardiola

would be happy to welcome him to the club.

Abidal made an emotional return to the Barcelona first team in a 5-0 win over Mallorca in April after recovering from cancer surgery, but it was confirmed last month he would be leaving the catalans at the end of the season.

Speaking to French football program Telefoot, the 33-yearold Abidal declared his intent to find a new club in the summer and says new Bayern Munich coach Guardiola is interested in signing him.

“Guardiola knows my situation and he would be delighted to have me on his team,” Abidal said. “But the director and the chairman of Bayern have their words on the matter too.

Mourinho

don’t win - but I do win!”

Mourinho added: “Maybe I’m not the best coach in the world, but I don’t think there’s a better coach than me.

“I don’t want to be called a legend but I have a great history which is difficult to compare. I consider myself a great coach.

“I’ve had great years but the next ones are always the most important.

“I don’t celebrate winning titles a lot because I never want to think it’s the last one I will win. Anyone who wants to see me playing safe and failing will be disappointed. I think it’s natural that I will win more trophies in my career.”

Manchester United striker, Wayne rooney at the Ligue 1 club. rooney has been linked with a summer switch away from Old Trafford after submitting a transfer request before the end of the season, which was rejected by the red Devils.

Big-spending PSG are one of the few elite clubs across Europe who could afford to bring in the England international, and Brazil international Silva would be delighted to see him in the French capital.

The centre-back went headto-head with rooney in the recent 2-2 draw between England and Brazil at the Maracana, with the United forward finding the net with a deflected long-range effort.

Speaking ahead of Brazil’s international friendly against France, Silva told reporters: “I love this player.

“Whenever I have played against him he has scored. I would really like rooney to sign for PSG. “He would be a quality addition for us.”

Silva, meanwhile, has again insisted that he will not be leaving the Parc des Princes this summer, with more speculation suggesting that he could be a transfer target for Barcelona.

He told O Jogo: “At the beginning of every summer it is said that I’ll move to Barcelona. Last year it was the same thing.

“I am very happy at PSG and I hope to stay in Paris until the end of my contract in 2017.”

Iniesta

Sherwood expects Bale to stay OTTEnHAM coach, Tim T Sherwood is “one million per cent” confident that Gareth Bale will remain at White Hart Lane.

The Wales international saw his performances in 2012/13 land him in the PFA Player of the Year award, with a number of talismanic displays taking Spurs agonisingly close to a top-four finish and champions League football.

Unsurprisingly, Bale’s exploits have drawn admiring glances from afar - with real Madrid reported to be leading a £60million hunt for his signature.

Spurs maintain that the 23year-old is not for sale, and Sherwood is convinced that Bale is happy to remain with his current employers for the foreseeable future.

He told the Daily Star Sunday: “Gareth’s fantastically happy at Tottenham.

“I see him around the training ground every day. He’s got a good relationship with

the manager and loves his team-mates. They show him the respect that he deserves and he gives it back to them.

“I don’t see him banging the door down trying to get a move. I believe one million per cent he will stay.

“There will be a lot of clubs wanting to take Gareth but he’s 23 and has good advis o r s .

“There’s a time for him to go overseas or to another Premier League club but I think he needs to stay here.”

Bale

THE GUARDIAN, Monday, June 10, 2013

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InsideTax

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TheGuardian

Monday, June 10, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

By Alex C. Omolu OME years back I was driving in an official car SRivers with an expatriate colleague, in Port Harcourt, State. As we approached a traffic junction, we met a little traffic build-up and a car sped past us from behind in a manner that he almost knocked down pedestrians just to beat the traffic.

Bystanders looked at him with so much disdain and reigned abuses on him. My expatriate friend exclaimed in a humorous but sarcastic tone, “Nothing can work in Nigeria.’’ And I protested vehemently, and asked, ‘’why did you say that?’’

He said, “Look at your fellow Nigerian. He could not wait for the green light signal, because he thought he was too busy and very smart.’’ The truth is that some Nigerians cannot keep simple laws; they have no respect for technology and are very impatient. I said to my colleague: ‘‘Well that was an act of indiscipline on his part, it is no proof that nothing can work in Nigeria. Things can work and have started working. A little argument ensued between us, to buttress my point. I said that the government had instituted various agencies and commissions to regulate and check the lapses in various sectors, such as Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Traffic Police Warden (aka yellow fever), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Although, I was able to convince my expatriate colleague with some vital and workable analysis but the memory of that argument leaves me pondering each time I remember it. I think of the image of my dear country, Nigeria. I think of my fellow citizens, I think of the numerous and myriad of problems that have bedeviled the country and reduced her to one of the poorest countries in the world amidst abundant natural and human resources. I feel like weeping, no wonder, some Nigerians have imbibed some unacceptable attitude which hitherto is referred to as the Nigerian way. They get almost everything through the hard way or back door. What a shame! This attribute often misled people and landed them in serious problems. Where is the source of these problems?

What are the possible solutions? Are these solutions achievable? It is an unimaginable situation for a patriotic Nigerian to see his people languishing in ignorance and dragging the name of our country in the mud.

It is really sad, painful and pathetic to see Nigerians wallowing in abject poverty where there are enough natural resources for sustainable development, Nigeria must be transformed now. It is time for a change; a change for a better tomorrow, a rebirth for a New Nigeria. This change must be ushered in by vibrant and God fearing leaders, who will listen to the yearnings and aspirations of our people, irrespective of ethnic and religious differences.

We must face reality to redeem our image. Our image has been rubbished in the international community as a result of poverty and wrong orientation; poverty must be eradicated in our country once and for all. According to Ayn Rand, “You can avoid reality but you cannot avoid the consequence of avoiding reality.” The numerous problems we have in this country should be tackled head long with courage, utmost sincerity of heart.

Otherwise the consequences will be too hard to bear, our highly esteemed citizens will die of hunger and starvation, then, crime, and insecurity will increase, in the end Nigerians will be at the losing end. It is an indication of systemic failure and economic sabotage in an unorganised society. It is a sin against humanity. They have failed the youths; they have failed the entire society.

However, the genesis of the problem is sincerely not from this administration. A little introspection will reveal how Nigeria fared in the 70s. For instance, at that time, in the agricultural sector; we had the groundnut pyramid in the North, the cocoa plantations in the south west, lumbering in the south-south, the economy was booming at its peak. Now, agricultural activities have greatly reduced due to over dependence on oil. Nigeria has turned to a mono economy nation, what a failure! There was also great neglect of other sectors. A good example is the transport sector; then railways were on, today we are still grappling to revive it. There were road workers at the local government level, but now, events have overtaken that, hence our roads are in a deplorable situation. What about Power and Communication Sectors (PHCN and Mtel)? What about the education sector, a key sector for rapid development of any nation - a great legacy of the colonial masters and missionaries? In those days, teaching was regarded as a job of good conscience. Teachers were highly regarded in the society, pupils and students were disciplined and intelligent. They were God fearing and hard working and had respect for norms and values of the society. Today

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editorial@risenetworks.org and 07067976667- SMS ONLY

De-orientation and re-orientation: A centenary agenda

Mike Omeri, Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA) the reverse is the case. Education is on the verge of total collapse due to negligence, corruption, avarice for money, cultism, examination malpractice, incompetence and so many other factors. Yet, some of our leaders keep flying in private jets, sending their children to study abroad while the poor are half baked with poor facilities. Why leave our system to decay?

According to Albert Einstein: “The world is dangerous not because of those who do harm but because of those who look at it without doing anything”. High standard of education cannot be compromised in this great nation.

Something has to be done to restore education to its former glory. The government should wake up to its responsibilities; they should create a conducive atmosphere for education and other sectors to thrive. Some of our leaders in the state and national assemblies received quality education from the missionaries and colonial masters, who had regard for education. They had very good atmosphere and quality facilities to study.

They were given good meals and those who could not further their education had oppor-

tunity to get jobs in any part of the country.

Today, about 100,000 students are graduated every year by Nigerian universities and sent to the labour market for nonexistent jobs. Oh Lord! Have mercy, your children are calling on you.

This injustice is an exploitation and betrayal of citizen’s trust and simplicity. My question now is, were the colonial masters able to provide good atmosphere for our leaders? Why can’t they replicate this gesture to the citizenry which they claim they love? You see, it is foolhardiness to refer to the British as thieves when some of our leaders are stealing more than they thought the British stole. They make empty promises, while we wait endlessly and hoping against hope. Sometimes I wish those days were here again, so that all will have a taste of the good old days. Of course, they can if we are genuinely committed to have a change; to save the youth and leaders of tomorrow.

The civil service which the government relies on for economic and social transformation has not done well, only a few are disciplined and productive. Others were drunk on power and wealth conniving with the political class.

The YOUTHSPEAK Column which is published daily is an initiative of THE GUARDIAN, and powered by RISE NETWORKS, Nigeria’s Leading Youth Development Centre, as a substantial advocacy platform available for ALL Nigerian Youth to engage Leadership at all levels, engage Society and contribute to National Discourse on diverse issues especially those that are peculiar to Nigeria. Regarding submission of articles, we welcome writers‘ contributions by way of well crafted, analytical and thought provoking opinion pieces that are concise, topical and non-defamatory! All articles (which are not expected to be more than 2000 words) should be sent to editorial@risenetworks.org To read the online Version of this same article plus past publications and to find out more about Youth Speak, please visit www.risenetworks.org/youthspeak and join the ongoing National Conversations’’.

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Editor: MARTINS

OLOJA

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ABC (ISSN NO 0189-5125)

They are the leaders; the political juggernauts; who is who in Nigeria. They have coerced Nigerians to adapt to the run-down economy like an unflavoured wine. They draft the constitution the way it will suit them. Some of the problems we are facing today resulted from poor management, insecurity, bribery, imposition of candidates by politicians, incompetence, hypocrisy of the adult society, culture of impunity, over-emphasis on paper certification, tribal sentiment, individual interest rather than national interest, poor implementation of policies, injustice, negligence, bottle-neck bureaucracy, politicising of judiciary and the most destructive among them all is “CORRUPTION”.

Corruption is the chief evil of the society. When there is good governance corruption cannot thrive. These problems would not have bedeviled Nigeria into this economic mess, if we had good and sincere leaders.

Why will Nigerians not wallow in abject poverty when some former state governors, permanent secretaries, directors of agencies and others political office holders embezzled billons of naira, and owning mansions and companies all over the world. Imagine the number of political office holders and civil servants including directors and permanent secretaries from 1979 till date who have stolen from the government coffers till date. If such amount of money was appropriated to tangible projects, Nigeria would have been one of the strongest economic powers in the world. Unfortunately we have greedy leaders. Leaders who do not see anything wrong with selling out job positions to the unemployed and giving some to their relatives. They award fictitious contracts, and primitively accumulate wealth. Crime and other social vices now take over the nation due to nonchalance. The labour of our heroes past is gradually getting in vain.

We need leaders who can salvage the situation, especially as we begin the planning of our centenary celebration. This should be a land mark in the history of our great nation “Nigeria”. We need a change now. Our leaders, who have conscience and the interest of the citizens at heart, should come to salvage a decaying economy and not to have a share of the national cake. The problem Nigeria has looks mountainous but, it can be solved, if our leaders are serious. The antidote for clearing this ugly menace could be developed into three objectives.

First, there should be a total de-orientation and re-orientation of the citizenry, where every sector will participate actively. Groups should be drawn from pressure groups, NonGovernmental Organisations (NGO); Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN); National Orientation Agency (NOA); Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), and a host of others. These groups should draft a campaign programme on de-orientation and re-orientation where Nigerians will be deeply taught on the ills of corruption, and reorient them on the benefits of honesty, hard work and the essence of development in the society. This will go round the 36 states of the federation with posters and hand bills for all offices and schools including primary, secondary and tertiary institutions and the market places. Then a comprehensive scheme on the “Dangers of corruption” should be developed in the school curricular. A leader that needs a change should give the people the constitution they demand, a people oriented constitution. Bureaucratic bottlenecks should be erased in the system to enhance speedy implementation of policies. There should be a “fallow up action” and monitoring teams comprising of men of high integrity. The new constitution should address the issue of independence of the judiciary, creation of a special court for EFCC to make for quick and easy dispensation of justice. Nigerians can do well irrespective of their cultural and religious differences, if the constitution is people oriented.

It is my utmost desire and opinion that as we are about to kick start our Centenary anniversary, our leaders should endeavour to write their names in gold in the history of our great country Nigeria by drafting a good programme for the centenary celebration. The intent of the British for amalgamating Southern and Northern protectorates in 1914 was not really for development but for easy administration of northern and southern Nigeria to cart away our resources. This they also achieved with indirect rule system. If this exploitative mentality was obvious as most schools of thought believed then why not redesign a better measure? It is high time we had a change; the centenary celebration is the right time. Nigeria will be peaceful and will have a great name in the international community and the citizens will be happy and comfortable, rather than the political jingoism that has been thrown into their faces and which has filled the airwaves.

• Omolu lives in Delta State.